With Jerry Seinfeld, Netflix Might Have Just Beat HBO in the War for Stand-Up
It’s a good day to be a Jerry Seinfeld fan. On Tuesday, Netflix announced a deal with the comedian to produce two stand-up specials, as well as new episodes of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. It’s a move that’s sure to please Seinfeld devotees—but it’s also a big step for Netflix. The streaming giant has long been coming for HBO on its rival network’s home turf—in this case, polished comedy specials—and in that context, this new deal can be seen as a true declaration of war.
Starting in late 2017, Netflix will house 24 new episodes of Comedians in Cars, along with old episodes of the Emmy-nominated series, which debuted on Crackle. Netflix adds that more episodes will follow in the future. (Seinfeld will remain on Hulu.) But perhaps more important, both of Seinfeld’s exclusive, upcoming stand-up specials are also slated to bow…