AMC chief defends £500m Netflix Walking Dead agreement
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AMC Global Media chief executive Kristin Dolan has defended the company’s five-year, $500 million agreement with Netflix for The Walking Dead, saying a co-exclusive arrangement with AMC+ was the best choice after interest from several large streaming platforms. The deal is intended to expand the franchise’s global reach through Netflix while preserving its value as a major attraction for AMC’s own streaming service.
From January 2027, all 371 episodes of the original series and six spin-offs will be available on Netflix and AMC+ simultaneously. Netflix, which has held US rights since 2011, will gain rights in the UK, Italy, Australia and other territories; Dolan did not predict subscriber growth, but said the full franchise should lift AMC+ engagement and noted Netflix’s previous success in widening audiences for AMC shows.
- AMC calls its £500m Netflix deal the best option.
- All 371 franchise episodes arrive on both services in 2027.
- Netflix expands Walking Dead rights internationally.
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The Walking Dead is a long-running television franchise about survivors living through a world overrun by zombies. It began as a US drama series on AMC in 2010 and later expanded into several spin-offs following different characters and places.
AMC is the American media company behind the programmes and operates its own streaming service, AMC+. Netflix is a much larger global streaming company, which has previously helped introduce AMC shows to wider audiences after their original broadcasts.
The agreement means both services will carry the same collection of Walking Dead programmes in a number of countries for several years. It matters because major TV franchises can attract subscribers, and because the deal reflects how producers balance earning money from large streaming platforms with keeping programmes available on their own services.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A co-exclusive Netflix agreement can give The Walking Dead far greater international reach while preserving its value to AMC+. Netflix’s scale may introduce the franchise to new audiences and renew interest in related AMC programming, while AMC+ subscribers still retain access to a flagship catalogue rather than losing it outright. Supporters would argue that sharing distribution is a pragmatic way for a smaller service to compete globally without surrendering ownership of a major asset.
The case against
Making the complete franchise available on Netflix could weaken one of AMC+’s strongest reasons for viewers to subscribe, especially where Netflix is already a household service. Critics may argue that a five-year co-exclusive window risks training audiences to seek AMC content elsewhere, with uncertain benefits for AMC+ engagement and limited visibility over whether Netflix-driven interest converts into paying AMC+ customers. They may favour a more exclusive strategy that protects the distinctiveness of AMC’s own platform.
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Originally published by Deadline as “AMC Global Media CEO Kristin Dolan On Why ‘The Walking Dead’ Deal With Netflix Was “The Right Choice””.