Netflix’s 5 most expensive shows
How much does did it cost to create your favorite Netflix Original series? Here are the five most expensive shows the streaming service has released…
When you think of the biggest, most popular Netflix Original TV shows, the Marvel Universe series, Stranger Things, or Orange is the New Black, may come to mind. Surprisingly, these are not even on the top five most costly shows list.
According to Cheat Sheet, the first seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron First, and the mini-series The Defenders, only cost an estimated $40 million each. And even if the budget has increased for the latest seasons, the price to make them is still not the most Netflix has spent on its Original programming.
As for Orange is the New Black, the show has about a $50 million budget per season. Is this budget still true for its newest seasons? Probably not! Netflix hasn’t revealed any details, but sources do know that more money has gone to other shows.
Photo Credit: House Of Cards/Netflix Image Acquired from Netflix Press Center
Below are the five most expensive Netflix Originals to date…
#5 House of Cards
Hose of Cards stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. After a scandal, Spacey won’t be returning in the final upcoming season, but Wright will be front and center. The series is loved by critics and audiences, it has collected several awards throughout its run. Some of these include seven Primetime Emmy awards and two Golden Globes. So how much money went into making the political drama? About $60 million per season, reportedly.
#4 Marco Polo
The budget for Netflix’s Marco Polo is no secret. In 2013, the streaming service acquired the rights to the period drama for $90 million. Unfortunately, it was received with mixed reviews. Netflix renewed the series for a second and final season. Don’t feel too bad for the company, though, I’m sure the company more than made up for it with one of its many other series.
#3 Sense8
Netflix’s sci-fi series, Sense8, is one of the streaming giant’s most popular shows. It has since been canceled, only running two seasons, and how much the company spent on creating the series may have played a part in the decision to canel. How much did Netflix pay up for the show? According to CNet, about $9 million per episode. This comes out to $108 million per season.
#2 The Get Down
A lot of money went into creating The Get Down, a series set in the late 1970s that follows “a mythic saga of how New York at the brink of bankruptcy gave birth to hip-hop, punk, and disco.” The series was intended to cost $7.5 million per episode, but after issues with showrunners, going through numerous writers, and several other complications, the show ended up costing a total of $120 million, according to Variety. It was unfortunate, especially for fans, that the series didn’t get renewed for a second season, but if you knew what was going on behind the scenes, it didn’t come as a surprise.
Photo Credit: The Crown/Netflix Image Acquired from Netflix Media Center
#1 The Crown
When you go to log in to your Netflix account, you probably see Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth in The Crown on the screen. This is Netflix’s most expensive series, so you bet they’re going to advertise it as much as they can. At $130 million per season, this isn’t only the most costly show the streaming giant has created, it’s also the most expensive TV show EVER.
The Crown has won Best Actress (Foy) and Best Actor (John Lithgow) at the 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as numerous Emmy nominations.
Is your favorite series one of the most expensive to create? Which Netflix Original did you think would be in the top five?
