Hulu, Amazon and Yahoo leading contenders in the fight to win "Seinfeld" streaming rights.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the rights to stream re-runs of the 1990s sitcom, which originally ran on NBC, could be worth more than $90 million to Sony Pictures Television.
Netflix has bowed out of the negotiations for reasons that insiders say include the limited four-year agreement. The Internet streaming company has been a leader in acquiring rights to hit shows, including "Friends," which it acquired last year from Warner Bros. The on-demand leader paid $500,000 an episode for "Friends," according to WSJ.
Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, creators of "Seinfeld," get a share of the deal as they are profit participants.
Hulu, Amazon and Yahoo have been aggressively working at acquisition deals. Recently, Hulu acquired "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," and Amazon owns the rights to "Girls" and "The Sopranos."
There are 180 episodes of "Seinfeld" that each are expected to sell for about $500,000.
The show, which originally ran from 1989 through 1998 on NBC, is in re-runs on TBS, where it continues its successful ratings roll. Generally, when a sitcom is picked up for online distribution, that does not prevent the show from being seen in re-runs on cable TV.
The "Seinfeld" online deal will be big, but many of the actors, producers and others involved in the show are already rich.
David's net worth is roughly $400 million, according to Celebrity Networth. When "Seinfeld" was sold for syndication to Columbia TriStar, he made about $650 million. While he likely had more than that at some point, his 2007 divorce from Laurie cost him a reported $200 to $300 million.
Seinfeld himself was paid $1 million an episode during production of the 1990s megahit. His net worth is estimated to be $800 million. He has added millions to his bank account through speaking engagements and book and endorsement deals.
"Seinfeld" has created its own economy, according to an article in New York Magazine and picked up by Vulture.com. In addition to the original Soup Nazi Al Yeganeh trying his hand at a restaurant chain and selling soups, product placement and other licensing deals have brought millions to those peripherally involved with the show.
The mini-economies also include major successes for companies whose products were featured on "Seinfeld" episodes.
Tootsie Roll Industries' purchased Junior Mints for $81.3 million after "The Junior Mint" episode aired. Quaker Oats paid $1.7 billion for Snapple after the brand was placed on the show, and Tom's Restaurant, which was the hangout on "Seinfeld," gets up to 10 percent of its customers from those who have seen it on the show.
