Top 10 Shows Netflix Could License to Another Streamer: ‘Ozark’, ‘Wet Hot American Summer,’ ‘Kimmy Schmidt,’ More
Top 10 Shows Netflix Could License to Another Streamer: ‘Ozark’, ‘Wet Hot American Summer,’ ‘Kimmy Schmidt,’ More
As the biggest streaming service in the marketplace, Netflix is looked at as the leader in the industry. When the service announces it has added millions of new customers or is exploring ways to crack down on password sharing, the world takes notice.
In addition to being the first company to truly embrace streaming, another way that Netflix has earned its position as the industry leader is by doing what no other major streaming service has been able to do; turn a profit. But to stay at the forefront of the streaming business, Netflix must continue taking steps to ensure it remains profitable for years to come.
One such step that Netflix could take is to license underperforming titles on its platform to third-party streamers. While company execs have recently said that such a move “has never been part” of Netflix’s plans, it is in the mix for the service’s competitors. Warner Bros. Discovery is the most recent media company to engage in this practice, striking deals with both Tubi and The Roku Channel to allow both services to stream series recently canceled at HBO Max. Disney is also reportedly looking to license some of its archive of content to outside platforms.
So, we here at The Streamable have done the difficult work of going through Netflix’s library to identify 10 series that Netflix could decide to rent out to other streamers if it wants to start cashing in on licensing fees.
‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ | Peacock
If you thought the world had ended, then found out it actually hadn’t, would you be able to adjust? Kimmy Schmidt doesn’t have a choice! When Schmidt is rescued from a doomsday cult and lands in New York City, she must navigate a world she didn’t think even existed anymore.
This series is one of the first projects star Ellie Kemper worked on after the conclusion of “The Office,” so Peacock is the ideal destination for it. Peacock is also the current streaming home of “30 Rock,” which stars “Kimmy Schmidt” co-creator Tina Fey.
‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ | Paramount+
This definitely isn’t the Sabrina you grew up with on ABC’s “TGIF” lineup. As her 16th birthday nears, Sabrina must choose between the supernatural witch world of her family and the human world where her closest friends live.
Paramount+ has a new focus on the paranormal recently, with titles like “Wolf Pack” and the new “Teen Wolf” movie debuting on the service in the last month. “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” would be right at home amongst content like this, plus Paramount+ is already home to “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” so that would make for an interesting back-to-back binge-watch.
‘GLOW’ | Peacock
Relive the glory days of ’80s wrestling with this fantastic comedy series. This show is set in 1980s Los Angeles and features a crew of misfits with seemingly no refuge. Discovering a love of performing, these women reinvent themselves as the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.
Peacock is the best place to livestream WWE events like “Royal Rumble” and “Wrestlemania,” so there’s no better place for a wrestling-themed show like “GLOW.” Peacock could use the series to promote WWE events, and vice-versa if it decided to make new episodes.
‘Marco Polo’ | Prime Video
An epic adventure that follows the early years of the famous explorer as he travels the exotic Silk Road to the great Kublai Khan’s court. But Marco soon finds that navigating the Khan’s world of greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue, and rivalry will be his greatest challenge yet, even as he becomes a trusted companion to the Khan in his violent quest to become the Emperor of the World.
This series would give Prime Video another sweeping fantastical epic, following the same footsteps as “The Wheel of Time” and “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” Unlike those, “Marco Polo” is set in the real world, but it still has plenty of fantasy elements, plus more adult content than those series to pull in a different audience.
‘Ozark’ | Apple TV+
A financial adviser uproots his family from their Chicago home and drags them to the remote Missouri Ozarks. While there, he must launder $500 million in five years to appease a drug boss to whom he owes a debt he cannot otherwise repay. While it is unlikely that Netflix would let go of one of its biggest original series, now that it has concluded its run, “Ozarks” could fetch a pretty penny from a streaming service that prides itself on prestige TV.
Apple TV+ has a reputation for offering series and movies that emphasize quality and production values, which makes it a fantastic destination for “Ozark.” The series has been consistently well-received by critics, and performances by lead actors Jason Bateman and Laura Linney offer the prestige headlining names Apple prizes so highly in its series.
‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ | Paramount+
The orphaned Baudelaire children face trials had a life that any kid would envy, until their parents are tragically and mysteriously killed. The trio must face horrible tribulations and the evil Count Olaf, all in their quest to uncover the secret of their parents’ death.
While the series starring Neil Patrick Harris as Lemony Snicket was a Netflix original, it was produced in conjunction with Paramount Television, and the original 2004 film adaptation of the hit book series starred Jim Carey and can now be streamed on Paramount+. So, bringing the entire “Unfortunate” family back together under one streaming umbrella would likely be attractive for the franchise-happy Paramount.
‘Orange Is the New Black’ | HBO Max
A crime she committed in her youthful past sends Piper Chapman to a women’s prison, where she trades her comfortable New York life for one of unexpected camaraderie and conflict in an eccentric group of fellow inmates. While “Orange Is the New Black” was one of the first big series hits for the streamer, it would fit in well with the crime and punishment offerings on another platform.
This series is often dramatic, usually funny, and always heartfelt, which may come as a surprise from a show set in a prison. It’s a far cry from HBO’s gritty, violent prison drama “Oz,” but “OITB” would serve as a fitting spiritual sequel to that series on HBO Max. While Warner Bros. Discovery won’t likely be in the market to buy any other service’s underperforming content anytime soon, if it was, this could be a good place to start.
‘Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous’ | Peacock
You might think that considering the number of disasters that occur when dinosaurs and humans mix, parents wouldn’t send their kids to Isla Nublar. But, you’d be wrong! In this series, six teens attending an adventure camp on the opposite side of the island must band together to survive when dinosaurs begin to wreak havoc.
Bringing this animated series extension of the “Jurassic World” franchise to Peacock would allow it to join other entries including “Jurassic World: Dominion.” It would also bolster Peacock’s already strong lineup of kids programming, which includes the Shrek and Despicable Me franchises, and more.
‘Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later’ | Hulu
The gang from Camp Firewood is back! A decade after their wild summer as junior counselors, the crew reunites for a weekend of bonding, hanky-panky, and hair-raising adventures. All your favorites are there, as well as a few characters you probably couldn’t stand.
This series features one of the best casts ever assembled from a comedic standpoint, starring Elizabeth Banks, Michael Ian Black, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, and many more. Hulu’s reputation as a home for general entertainment makes it perfect for this series, which will fit in right alongside series like “What We Do in the Shadows.”
‘Haunting of Hill House’ | Paramount+
The Crains, a fractured family, confront haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it. As the series unfolds, audiences learn more about the peculiar past of each family member and their unique connection to the house and its spirits.
“Haunting of Hill House” and Paramount+ are a perfect marriage, especially considering the series was produced and distributed by Paramount in the first place. The service is also a little light on horror streaming content, though it is still home to shows like Stephen King’s “The Stand” and movies such as “A Quiet Place.”