The Netflix original animated series BOJACK HORSEMAN is not horsin' around when it comes to expanding the black comedy's viewership spectrum. It's being reported that the rerun rights to the show featuring the voices of Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, and Paul F. Thompkins about a washed up sitcom star from the '90s is being shopped around to cable buyers, courtesy of distributor Debmar-Mercury.
BOJACK HORSEMAN made its Netflix debut in 2014, a time when the premiere streamer wasn't as involved in securing global rights that essentially work to close the window of possibilities for syndication to occur. Though as time has marched on, and the Netflix platform has evolved, it appears as if the company is looking to increase their original program's profitability and satisfy producers of their content to boot.
In what I would consider to be a very clever move, Torante, headed by Michael Eisner, secured the off-network rights to Bojack for a domestic syndication sale before the show went to air. Since the debut of its fourth season, BOJACK HORSEMAN has racked up a total of 48 episodes to date, and has already secured a fifth season run for the offbeat comedy featuring a spiraling, self-loathing horse and his equally as complicated friends and family.
“I’m very proud of ‘BoJack Horseman.’ Who knew a washed up sitcom star, who happens to be a horse, would drive the best reviews of any television show or movie in which I have been involved in my career?” Eisner commented. “This business is all about who you work with creatively. Thank goodness (creator) Raphael Bob-Waksberg walked through my door.”
The sale of BOJACK HORSEMAN is bound to be a hot topic of conversation around the cable network industry, as its move into syndication will paint a clear picture that Netflix Original programming is profitable beyond its primary home on the popular streaming network.
As Todd Chavez would say, "Hooray!" I'm a big fan of BOJACK HORSEMAN, and I'm stoked to see the show not only get the recognition it deserves, but also that it could pave the way for a broader spectrum of comedy to reach audiences who can't afford Netflix's ever-changing subscription fees. While no one has purchased the program just yet, I'm sure we'll be hearing about a final sale quite soon.