"The show is about nothing," said George.
"Well, it's not about nothing," said Jerry.
"No, it's about nothing," replied George.
"Well, maybe in philosophy," said Jerry. "But even nothing is something."
This now-infamous scripted conversation from "Seinfeld" — a self-professed show about nothing — is now truer than ever. All nine seasons and 180 episodes of "nothing" could be worth a whole lot of extra "something" if Jerry Seinfeld's eponymous series ever makes its way to Netflix.
The New York Post reports licensing "Seinfeld" for Netflix, a subscription-based, on-demand Internet streaming platform, could cost the entertainment provider up to $350 million per year, according to Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities.
But, the series sure is "sponge-worthy."
“There are only a handful of what we tend to refer to as A-level sitcoms in our business,” syndication television consultant Chuck Larsen said, to Bloomberg Businessweek. “Seinfeld is certainly one of them."
Since going off the air in 1998, "Seinfeld" has netted over $2.7 billion in syndication revenue, DVD sales and more, as per a 2007 Time Warner news release. In 2013, New York Magazine estimated the show's syndication worth had a value of $3.1 billion.
Seinfeld himself initiated speculation about a Netflix deal, with an answer he gave in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" earlier this week while promoting his web series, "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee."
Answering a fan's query about whether "Seinfeld" would ever be available on Netflix, the 60-year-old actor wrote: "You are a very smart and progressive person. These conversations are presently taking place."
There's little doubt Netflix could afford this purchase. The service boasts 50 million subscribers worldwide, including 36.2 million in the U.S.. With a projected 3.7 million more users coming next quarter, its tally continues to grow. This year, Netflix's original programming ("House of Cards," "Orange is the New Black") earned 31 primetime Emmy nominations — one more honour than the FOX network.
No official confirmation of negotiations has been released by either party. Lucrative in syndication and viewership, the show's series finale was watched by more than 76 million people in 1998, and yada yada yada, its acquisition could only be Netflix's gain —especially if it comes to Canadian Netflix.
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