Nick at Nite acquires "Friends" starting Sept. 2011

[TV Guy]

Of course, the catch is that it doesn't come for another six years.

From Variety:

Friends of 'Friends'
Nick gets night rights; TBS run extended

By JOHN DEMPSEY

NEW YORK -- Warner Bros. Domestic Cable has sold "Friends" to Nick at Nite in a shared window with TBS beginning in the fall of 2011, a deal that will harvest $200 million in license fees and advertising.
The parties declined to discuss deal points, but Nick at Nite will pay about $500,000 an episode for the right to carry the 236 half-hours of "Friends" post-6 p.m. for a six-year term through the fall of 2017. Nick at Nite will also allow Warner Bros. to carve out 30-second spots from the half-hour cablecasts; Warners will pocket all of these ad revenues.

By contrast, TBS' contract is a continuation of its ongoing deal for "Friends," which kicked off in the fall of 2001. The network, a sibling of Warner Bros. Domestic Cable, has renewed "Friends" for the same six-year period as Nick at Nite (September 2011 to September 2017) but will pay only $275,000 an episode because Warners will restrict its runs to pre-6 p.m. (except for the first year, when TBS can play the half-hours through 7 p.m.). The three 30-second spots that Warners holds back in each half-hour of "Friends" on TBS will cease on Sept. 4, 2011; TBS will keep all of the advertising time beyond that date.

One of the reasons that a sitcom like "Friends," which NBC canceled after the 2003-04 season, is still chalking up big bucks in pre-sales through 2017 is that the broadcast networks have failed to come with any blockbuster sitcoms in the past five years.

Worried that the drought in hit comedies could continue, cable networks and TV stations are renewing high-visibility shows like "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Friends" and "Seinfeld" well into the future. Twentieth hasn't made "The Simpsons" available to cable networks yet because the show is still exclusive to TV stations in off-network syndication.

Right now, TBS is sharing "Friends" with TV stations throughout the country in rerun syndication. Warners has renewed "Friends" in syndication through December 2013, and since the series is still finding an audience, the studio could very well bring the sitcom back later in the decade for a third cycle.

In syndication alone, "Friends" has harvested $4 million an episode in cash license fees, for a total of $944 million. When advertising revenues from the syndication barter spots get added in, the revenues balloon to well over a billion dollars.

Nick at Nite is counting on "Friends" to play directly to the 18-to-49 year olds it targets in its programming and marketing.

[USTVFanFromUK]

Well, it was expected. I always thought they'd get 'Seinfeld' before 'Friends' though. Is this the most N@N has ever spent on any sitcom?

[TVJunkie101]

I agree; this was expected. I'm not surprised at all. But I do agree that I thought Seinfeld *might* come first.

I think it's only a matter of time before Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond are picked up by N@N. Even if it's not for another six years, they'll come eventually.

[Pavan]

Nick@Nite is paying 118,000,000 million for the 6 year deal roughly. TBS pays 82 million for the rest. So, this is Nick@Nite's most costliest deal ever, beating Cheers' 75 million 7 year contract.

Breakdown:
Nick@Nite: September 2011 through September 2017 - 6 year deal, and can only air it from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
TBS: Renewal deal September 2011 through September 2017 - 6 year renewal and only air it from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (though, the first year they can air it from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Local Channels: through December 2013, but they can renew...

[TVJunkie101]

Wow.

That's all I've got to say, LOL.

[Pavan]

Since Nick@Nite is paying this much for Friends, I doubt they can afford Seinfeld or Everybody Loves Raymond, even in a shared deal with TBS. Remember Nick@Nite still has Mad About You, Home Improvement, The Nanny, and a few other shows (not announced yet) still to come.

[barwars]

Wow. Not that it's coming.... but that it's being planned so far in advance. This is one series I'll never watch on N@N. Not because I don't like it, but I'll have the entire series on DVD before the year is over, let alone the decade.

[PrettyinPink55]

Originally Posted by pavanbadal

Nick@Nite is paying 118,000,000 million for the 6 year deal roughly. TBS pays 82 million for the rest. So, this is Nick@Nite's most costliest deal ever, beating Cheers' 75 million 7 year contract.

Breakdown:
Nick@Nite: September 2011 through September 2017 - 6 year deal, and can only air it from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
TBS: Renewal deal September 2011 through September 2017 - 6 year renewal and only air it from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (though, the first year they can air it from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Local Channels: through December 2013, but they can renew...

[L&OFan4Eva]

This..is...I'm speechless. I thought this would happen, but I never thought in a gazillion years they would actually do it. Well, wow.

[Adamantium]

"Friends" is the type of show that needs to be seen in order, without skipping an episode. N@N is not very good at that. For one thing, they skip Christmas episodes. I'm sure "Friends" will be a big success for N@N, I'm just stating my opinion.

[spunkygirl]

Wow is all I can say

[barwars]

Friends doesn't air all that often on TBS, not nearly as much as ELR or Seinfeld. It doesn't even air everyday.

[JT]

When I saw 2011 in the thread name, I thought for sure this was a joke!

But wow...just wow...

[benjamoon]

wow... I love "Friends" but I'm sure N@N will play it to death

10PM/10:30PM/2:00AM/2:30AM/5:00AM/5:30AM anyone? haha

[dawsongirl]

Oh boy! Let's spend tons of money by actual weight for a show that airs everywhere 100 times a day and is on DVD, which are superior in quality and content. Sounds like fun!

Oh well, not my money.