Picture: AMC
Just announced by Netflix, AMC, and the trades today is a massive new multi-year agreement: Netflix and AMC Global Media are expanding their partnership to bring the original The Walking Dead series—along with all six of its spin-offs—to Netflix in multiple territories around the world.
If you’ve been keeping a close eye on our coverage, you’ll know that the partnership between Netflix and AMC has been evolving rapidly over the last few years. Since mid-2024, we’ve seen much of AMC’s greatest-hits library licensed to Netflix in the US and many other parts of the world. Many were on short-term agreements while others still remain streaming to this day. Among the titles added, at least in the US, were some of The Walking Dead spin-offs, but those never made their way onto Netflix in international regions and have been getting new updates (such as Daryl Dixon S3 dropping in July and Dead City S2 dropping in January 2026).
Now, AMC and Netflix are going all in on walkers.
Here is a breakdown of what this landmark co-exclusive streaming agreement (valued at $500 million) means for Netflix subscribers, since what’s coming and what’s happening vary depending on where you live.
The Original Series Is Staying (and Expanding!)
First and foremost, for those of you who have frequently asked us when The Walking Dead will leave Netflix, our previous coverage confirmed that the rights were set to expire in January 2027, but that’s no longer the case, now set to run through 2032.
Netflix has been the exclusive US streaming home for the original survival drama since 2011. Under this new deal, Netflix is not only retaining the US rights, but extending the show’s availability to major new international territories. Viewers in the UK, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand will soon be able to stream the original 11-season, 177-episode run on Netflix.
As part of the co-exclusive nature of the deal, the original The Walking Dead series will also be made available on AMC+ for the very first time early next year.
Also of note: when Netflix first launched its ad tier, The Walking Dead was blocked, although that block was lifted last year.
All Six Spin-Offs Heading to Netflix Globally in 2027
The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon
The most exciting part of this announcement is the arrival of the extended Walking Dead Universe. Starting in 2027, Netflix will become the global streaming home for all six spin-off series (though exact rollout dates will vary by territory depending on when existing regional licenses expire).
The spin-offs included in the deal are:
- Fear the Walking Dead
- The Walking Dead: Dead City
- The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
- The Walking Dead: World Beyond
- Tales of the Walking Dead
- The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
This massive drop will bring the total package to a staggering 371 episodes across all seasons and series. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of walker-slaying content heading your way, don’t worry—we’ve already put together a comprehensive guide on how to watch all The Walking Dead shows in chronological order.
What the Executives Are Saying
Both Netflix and AMC are touting this as a massive win for fans.
“Audiences have discovered and loved The Walking Dead on Netflix for nearly 15 years and the show continues to attract new fans,” said Lori Conkling, Vice President of Licensing at Netflix.
Kristin Dolan, CEO of AMC Global Media, echoed the enthusiasm for the expanded partnership: “This deal creates a global destination for this universe – all shows, all episodes – making the franchise more accessible than ever to fans around the world… Netflix has been an important partner in making The Walking Dead one of the most successful franchises in the history of entertainment. This agreement is a fantastic result for our companies, for the fans and for this timeless IP.”
According to AMC’s financial filings, “Netflix will pay an aggregate content license fee of $500 million payable in quarterly cash installments over the licensed period for each licensed title, commencing on the applicable start date for that title. The Company expects to receive cash payments of approximately $25 million in 2026. The Company expects to receive annual cash payments of approximately $100 million in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030, and expects to receive the remaining amount in 2031.”
Looking at the engagement report, it’s clear why Netflix wants this monster collection available. According to the Engagement Report data covering all of 2023 through mid-2026, the mothership series and its various spin-offs, despite not being available globally, have now pulled in 3.89B viewing hours, equating to 345.7M views.
Are you excited to finally have the entire Walking Dead Universe available to stream in one place on Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below!
