The upcoming streaming service from AT&T Inc’s WarnerMedia, HBO Max has secured streaming rights to all 12 seasons of the hit comedy “The Big Bang Theory”.
The exclusive five-year deal will make the popular show available in the United States.
As per sources, the rights for the show cost HBO Max a whopping amount between $500 million and $600 million.
Meanwhile, WarnerMedia said in a statement that all 279 episodes will be available on HBO Max when it launches in the spring of 2020.
Moreover, as the streaming industry becomes more crowded, winning rights to hit shows has become expensive. Apart from Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime; Walt Disney and Apple have also announced their own streaming services. The streaming service of Walt Disney Co is Disney+, which is set to launch on November 12 while Apple Inc’s “Apple TV Plus” will launch on November 1.
Also, HBO Max is expecting 10,000 hours of premium content at launch. Also, it got the rights to stream U.S. reruns of “Friends” from 2020 in July. However, the television rights for “The Big Bang Theory” will remain with cable television channel TBS till 2028.
About “The Big Bang Theory”
The show initially focused on five friends living in California. It made geeks and comic book nerds pop-culture cool.
“The Big Bang Theory,” premiered in 2007. The show has won over 10 Emmy awards. Jim Parsons’ portrayal of the quirky theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper grabbed him four Emmy awards. A prequel, based on Parsons’ character, Young Sheldon, was launched in 2017.
Over the years, the series featured cameos by various celebrities. The likes of which include physicist Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, “Star Trek” actors William Shatner and George Takei, and Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee.
The filming of “The Big Bang Theory” took in front of a live audience. It was produced by Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions.