That ’70s Show – Picture: Carsey-Werner
Another day, another big sitcom set to leave Netflix. We’ve been covering for a while that That 70s Show could be facing the axe on Netflix as the rights come up for renewal but that now that’s become reality. The series has now departed Netflix as of September 7th, 2020. What’s going on and will That 70s Show return to Netflix? Let’s take a look.
We first reported the idea that That 70s Show tenure could be coming to an end back in November 2019 and then we got confirmation the rights were coming up for renewal in Q4 2020 earlier in the year. That was at a time where Nielsen revealed that the show had seen a boost throughout COVID-19 on Netflix.
The classic 90s sitcom has been streaming on Netflix in many Netflix regions since 2015 (sometimes longer) and Netflix currently holds the global rights.
Set during the 1970s, this 90s sitcom follows a group of teens hanging out indulging in the culture of the era. It launched the careers of Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Topher Grace and Mila Kunis.
All eight seasons were removed from Netflix on September 7th, 2020 in the United States and all other regions including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
It’s been a busy year for removals on the sitcom front which have become valuable commodities in the streaming age. Friends was removed in January, Parks & Recreation is due to leave on October 1st and The Office will depart in January.
Netflix has made strides in plugging the gap when it picked up Community to share with Hulu and Amazon and Seinfeld is due out in 2021.
Could That 70s Show be renewed at Netflix?
Of course, it’s important to note that from our conversations with representatives from Carsey-Werner, they were interested in renewing it with Netflix.
All eyes now look to who will license That 70s Show next. Unlike some of the examples mentioned above, Carsey-Werner does not have a streaming service of their own to showcase the series on meaning it’ll likely now head to the highest bidder among the ever-growing list of streamers.
We’re reached out to them for further comment and will update once we learn more.
It’s also worth noting the series did not get included in the official removal lists Netflix released. That suggests to us that the deal isn’t quite done regarding its removal.
We’ll keep this post updated as and when we learn more about where That ’70s Show will end up. Will you miss That 70s Show if it leaves Netflix in September? Let us know in the comments.
