Invest in ‘The Walking Dead’ with a Couple Hundred Million

One of the most popular name brands in modern pop culture history is about to be up for grabs. AMC is gearing up to sell the “next round of rights” to The Walking Dead, and multiple major companies are reportedly interested. Licensing deals for shows expire after a certain period, which is why you might see a show like The Office or Battlestar Galactica on Netflix for a few years and then on Peacock for another few years. That’s the situation here, and AMC is considering all options, including keeping some of the rights for itself, according to Deadline.

“We’ve been really excited about the inbound for discussion on the licensing rights for The Walking Dead,” said AMC CEO Kristin Dolan in an earnings call. “We’re really looking at every scenario. There’s a variety of ways to look at it. We definitely feel it’s important to keep some of the content for ourselves co-exclusively, so we’re emphasizing the fact that we’re looking predominantly at co-exclusive deals, but there are some very large and enthusiastic partners in the bidding process right now. So, we’re really looking at any variety of constructs, but the key thing for us is co-exclusivity.”

While the specific companies interested in the rights have not been disclosed, the likely contenders are streaming giants like Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, Paramount+, Apple TV, and Peacock. The deals are still being negotiated, but previous sales like Friends, The Office, and Seinfeld have gone for over $500 million each. Last year, South Park rights were sold for the staggering sum of $1.5 billion. Although The Walking Dead might not reach those heights, a deal in the hundreds of millions is expected, given the vast amount of content associated with the series.

What does this mean for viewers? If you want to rewatch The Walking Dead and its spinoffs, you may need to switch to another streaming platform. There might also be some new merchandise opportunities. And if you happen to have a few hundred million laying around and want to be the exclusive streaming provider for The Walking Dead, AMC is open to discussions. Stay tuned for more news on upcoming Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, as well as updates on the DC Universe in film and television, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.