Why Does Netflix Have Only Four Seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Fans and newcomers alike have turned Brooklyn Nine-Nine into a big hit for Netflix since it landed on the streamer last month, but with only four seasons present of a show that ran for eight, it raises the question of why only half the seasons are available. 

For new viewers to the Andy Samberg-led series, it may seem to end a bit abruptly, so why does Netflix have only half of Brooklyn Nine-Nine?

Why Is Only Half of Brooklyn Nine-Nine Available on Netflix?

There are two possible reasons. The first has to do with Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s strange broadcast release and ownership. The series originally premiered on Fox in 2013 with a 13-episode run that was extended to 22 after the show became both a ratings and critical darling. However, despite a passionate fanbase, Fox decided to cancel the show after the fifth season. NBC then picked the canceled series up in a rare move of one broadcast network renewing another network’s show and produced the final three seasons before canceling the show amidst the BLM movement.

This means that the licensing around the series for streaming may be very complicated and all the seasons couldn’t be released to Netflix to stream at the moment. Netflix, of course, makes its own shows but it also spends plenty of money on buying streaming rights to other shows. This is how Suits, another NBCUniversal series, became a smash hit recently and reinvigorated that franchise.

That brings us to the next possible reason: NBCUniversal may have only wanted to give Netflix a few seasons. After all, the only way new fans can now watch the rest of the series is to get a Peacock subscription, and that directly lines NBCUniversal’s pockets. That’s what the studio did for Suits by keeping the ninth season off the streamer for quite some time.