“Shameless” fans were binge-watching the series, getting ready for the October 11 deadline. That was the date the series was set to leave Netflix, but there is some excellent news. The Gallaghers live to see another day.
It almost feels like fate when you consider the Gallagher family. They skirted around a few close calls throughout the 11-season series, and now they get that in the afterlife!
Why Isn’t ‘Shameless’ Leaving Netflix?
When the initial news was announced, the licensing deal between Warner Bros. and Netflix was coming to an end. “Shameless” was set to leave the streaming giant on Oct. 11, and there was no news about where it would land afterward. There was always a chance that the license could be renewed, but “Gilmore Girls” fans know what it’s like holding out for that hope!
Well, after “Shameless” left the streamer in Australia, the United States platform created a new deal. Remember that each territory is its own entity and will have different licensing agreements. The banner for the removal was taken off, and fans got to breathe a sigh of relief.
How long is this renewal? That’s the bit that nobody knows. When What’s on Netflix found out about the new deal, it made it explicitly clear that the time frame of that deal wasn’t shared. These deals can last anywhere between one year and several years.
As “The Walking Dead” fans were getting ready to say goodbye to “Fear the Walking Dead,” AMC and Netflix made a huge $500 million deal that would see the entire franchise head to Netflix for five years. Since there was no huge announcement about “Shameless,” it suggests that it’s only for a limited time, like a year, and it’s important to get the rest of that binge-watch in while you can.
Netflix Is Busy Keeping Licensed Content
While Netflix couldn’t find a way to keep “Gilmore Girls,” it has worked hard on keeping licensed content. Like “The Walking Dead,” the streamer also made sure it kept its hands on “Seinfeld,” which was also set to leave in October. Now, it’s all about “Shameless,” making it clear that the company wants to bring nostalgic shows for viewers. This is cheaper than creating its own content.
Opting to save “Shameless” makes sense from a numbers point of view. Between January 2023 and mid-2026, the series pulled in 3.198 billion viewing hours, which translates to 293.8 million views. The Gallaghers remain popular with subscribers, so, of course, Netflix was going to want to capitalize on that.
Eventually, that expiration date is likely to come up, though. After all, this is a Warner Bros. series, and it makes sense that the global production giant will eventually want to turn the series into views on its own platform. When many thought “Shameless” was leaving Netflix next month, the idea was that it would head to HBO Max. With the upcoming merger of Paramount and Warner Bros., Paramount+ was a close second.
Alternatively, Warner Bros. could end up looking for the next best deal, which is what happened with “Gilmore Girls.” As the series left the major streamer on June 30, it then joined Prime Video on July 1 instead of heading to HBO Max.
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The Gallaghers Aren’t Going Anywhere: ‘Shameless’ Saved on Netflix