Netflix will license previous seasons of ABC Family drama series “The Lying Game” and “Pretty Little Liars” from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.
The first season of “Lying” will come to Netflix when its second season premieres on air early next year. The first season of “Liars” will be available immediately while the second will come to Netflix on July 3rd. The third season of the series launched on air June 5th.
Financial terms of the multi-year exclusive deal were not disclosed.
WBDTD president Ken Werner is hoping Netflix can help drive new viewers to the series much the way the streaming service was credited for doing same for the most recent season of AMC’s “Mad Men.”
“By featuring the out-of-season episodes of ‘Pretty Little Liars’ and ‘Lying Game,’ new viewers will have the opportunity to discover the show and catch up which will, in turn, bring new fans to the original episodes on ABC Family,” he said.
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At the very least, Netflix will drive new revenues for the series to the studio, which has seen subscription VOD services pick up the slack for the sluggish sales that cable series typically do in traditional syndication markets. Other cable nets are loath to acquire series from rival channels, particularly serialized dramas that don’t typically do well on TV but are great for binge-watching viewers online.
WBDTD and Netflix have done business before as far back as 2010, when the studio licensed FX series “Nip/Tuck.”
