HBO Max has come out victorious in the bid to stream The Big Bang Theory. The upcoming service secured a five-year deal, to exclusively stream the show domestically. All 12 seasons of the show will be available to stream for the first time ever, when HBO Max launches in spring 2020.
As part of the deal with Warner Bros. Television, the comedy which ended its run back in May, has also extended its syndication deal with TBS and will air on the WarnerMedia-owned basic cable network through 2028.
“Few shows define a generation and capture mainstream zeitgeist like The Big Bang Theory,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman, WarnerMedia Entertainment and direct-to-consumer. “We’re thrilled that HBO Max will be the exclusive streaming home for this comedy juggernaut when we launch in the spring of 2020. This show has been a hit virtually around the globe, it’s one of the biggest shows on broadcast television of the last decade, and the fact that we get to bring it to a streaming platform for the first time in the U.S. is a coup for our new offering.”
Earlier this year, HBO Max sent shock waves across the Internet when they revealed that they bought Friends for $425 million (over five years) and that the show would be leaving its longtime home at Netflix. Along with Friends, HBO Max will also be the new streaming home for all fare from The CW (which was previously housed at Netflix) as well as original feature films from prolific producer Greg Berlanti and Reese Witherspoon.
HBO Max will also be the exclusive streaming home for all episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as well as Pretty Little Liars. Those will join The CW originals starting with Batwoman and Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene. The CW’s streaming deal with Netflix expired in May. Current CW series already streaming on Netflix (like Riverdale and The Flash) will continue to do so until they wrap their runs.