Netflix pays $500M to share Walking Dead streaming with AMC+

Netflix agreed to pay $500 million for a five-year licensing deal that will let it stream The Walking Dead franchise alongside AMC+ starting in 2027, AMC Networks announced on July 30, 2026. The agreement covers 371 episodes of the original series and six spinoffs, including Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Dead City, The Ones Who Live, World Beyond, and Tales of The Walking Dead. For the first time, AMC+ gains the right to stream the main show, which Netflix has held exclusively since 2011, while Netflix expands its streaming rights beyond the U.S. to territories such as the UK, Italy, and Australia. AMC CEO Kristin Dolan said in a statement that the deal creates a global destination for the franchise, making it more accessible to fans worldwide. The arrangement is unusual for Netflix, which typically seeks exclusive rights in its content deals, but the streamer’s data on viewer habits likely justified the investment. Netflix licensing VP Lori Conkling noted that audiences have discovered and loved The Walking Dead on the platform for nearly 15 years, and the show continues to attract new fans. The franchise’s enduring popularity mirrors other reliable draws like Friends and The Office, and Netflix’s recent growth—including overtaking the BBC in a UK audience survey and reaching over 250 million monthly users in its ad-supported tier as of May—may have reinforced the decision to share rights with AMC+.