Netflix is about to get a big infusion of content of prestige programming. The world’s largest streaming service is set to get access to 15 of AMC’s most popular current series this summer, in a deal reminiscent of AMC’s 2023 licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery’s streamer Max. For Netflix, it’s yet another licensing deal that will almost certainly keep customers engaged, while for AMC, it represents new revenue and a way to drive people to its own streaming service AMC+.

Key Details:

• The shows begin to arrive on Netflix on Monday, Aug. 19.
• AMC promised to seek out more licensing deals in the wake of last year’s agreement with Max.
• The deal once again raises the prospect of Netflix trying to buy AMC.

The new licensing deal will bring the first wave of AMC shows to Netflix starting on Monday, Aug. 19. The shows will remain available to stream on AMC+ throughout the duration of their time on Netflix. Thirteen of the 15 shows moving to the world’s largest streamer will launch next month, but two of the series involved — “The Walking Dead: Dead City” and “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live” — will wait to make the move until early 2025. The deal allows the titles to stream on Netflix for one year following their premiere. That timeline is much longer than last year’s agreement with WBD which allowed AMC titles to stream on that platform just for two months during the fall.

What titles AMC will stream on Netflix?

“This agreement puts our high-quality shows in front of the vast audience of Netflix subscribers with the AMC brand clearly represented,” AMC Networks CEO Kristin Dolan said. “These curated titles are also being strategically windowed to drive interest in current and upcoming seasons on our direct-to-consumer and partner platforms. We believe this significant expansion of our Netflix relationship will drive viewership and engagement on Netflix, while also raising awareness and interest in our award-winning content on AMC-branded and partner platforms across our distribution ecosystem.”

Last year’s licensing deal with Max increased engagement for and the popularity of the titles sent to WBD’s streamer on AMC platforms, according to Dolan. At the conclusion of the agreement, she let it be known that she was open to more such deals with any partner who wanted to dance.

Will Netflix Try to Buy AMC?

AMC is one of the smaller cable channel and streaming service operators out there, and speculation has simmered for years that it could be acquired by one of the larger players in the industry. Dolan herself has said that the company will at least listen to merger and acquisition opportunities, and has considered consolidating AMC's various streaming services on a single platform to cut costs and potentially make for a more attractive proposition for buyers.

I’ve always thought of Netflix as a highly logical suitor for AMC. The success of “Breaking Bad” on the streamer launched a relationship that remains strong to this day, and probably still helps viewers more quickly associate AMC content with Netflix. The latest deal will reinforce that association and continue to point to a possible future where all AMC titles are found on Netflix.

Only time will tell if AMC is absorbed by another media conglomerate, and which one it will be. It’s not likely to happen this summer, which will see a great selection of AMC titles arrive on Netflix beginning next month.