Major Update on Netflix’s Rights to ‘The Walking Dead’

The Walking Dead‘s relationship with streaming behemoth Netflix is still very much alive and the franchise won’t soon be walking away from the big red N.

Deadline reported that the franchise rights to The Walking Dead were recently renewed by Netflix for a whopping $500 million over five years. The deal includes not just The Walking Dead, but also all of the spinoff series that followed: Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead: Dead City, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, The Walking Dead: World Beyond and Tales of The Walking Dead.

AMC Global Media is the owner of The Walking Dead‘s television rights and intellectual property. They will be on the receiving end of Netflix’s $500 million. Part of the deal enables AMC+ to stream the series, along with Netflix, beginning next year.

Netflix has had the show’s streaming rights since after the series’ first season (2011). The popular post-apocalyptic horror show aired 177 total episodes over 11 seasons, with the finale airing in November 2022. The show won two Primetime Emmy Awards and five People’s Choice Awards.

Netflix has renewed its deal to be able to stream all shows in ‘THE WALKING DEAD’ universe for the next 5 years.

The deal now allows for all shows to also stream on AMC+ starting next year. pic.twitter.com/yPA11TbemP

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 30, 2026

Actors Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus and Steven Yeun were among the main cast’s biggest stars and helped propel the series to a ratings juggernaut. The series’ third through seventh seasons all averaged more than 10 million viewers per episode and peaked with more than 14 million per episode in season five. During it’s run, The Walking Dead often set viewership records for AMC and regularly ranked as the number one cable show for adults 18-49.

In a statement released by Lori Conkling, Netflix’s Vice President of Licensing, Conkling expressed the streamers excitement: “Audiences have discovered and loved The Walking Dead on Netflix for nearly 15 years and the show continues to attract new fans. “We’re excited to partner with AMC Global Media to continue to expand that access to more audiences around the world and bring the entirety of The Walking Dead Universe to Netflix.”

Now that they’re settled in their streaming home for the next five years, the zombie’s next move could be to top Netflix’s charts. Currently, Polymarket bettors have The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare, as easily the most traded top-place finisher among bettors (99%) for the current week’s top show. Shows like The Hawk and Elite Force are all looking up.

Could The Walking Dead serve as a formidable challenger? Time will tell. But they do have inventory on their side.

Including its six spinoffs, The Walking Dead Universe’s catalog includes 371 total episodes that should keep Netflix audiences entertained and maybe even a little frightened.

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