‘Seinfeld’ Ended 17 Years Ago, but the Popular TV Show is Still Raking in Money

Seinfeld, the American sitcom, which Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld co-wrote and produced, was about ‘nothing’, with Jerry playing himself in a fictitious persona, and it ran for an entire decade, quickly becoming the most influential situational comedies of that era.

According to various sources, Seinfeld is rated as one of the most culturally prominent, significant and popular TV show ever, considering that it continues to be watched by audiences around the world over 17 years after it officially went off the air.

Handsome returns

With an 8.9/10 rating on IMDb, there was no doubt about the show being a mega-hit. And all hit shows always ensure that that their stars’ earnings are bolstered handsomely. During the fabulous run of the show spanning nine full seasons (1989-1998), Jerry and co-stars Michael Richards, Jason Alexander, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, all took home huge pay-checks, earning $1 million each per episode, to be specific. And this doesn’t even include the additional revenue generated by the show as well as the extensive syndication rights. In those days, this was a pay-check like no other, considering it took many, many years for the comedy show The Big Bang Theory cast members to earn nearly as much just from one episode! But even 20 years later, Seinfeld still continues to be very lucrative for its creators Jerry and David, and of course the rights-holders. As the website Celebrity Net Worth reveals, the real funds began pouring in after the final season aired. The Seinfeld cast members were soon making as much money as the stars of The Big Bang Theory.

Like it never left

Syndication ensured that Seinfeld remains a popular show among American audiences, and reruns are fairly common whenever the TV is switched on. Seinfeld’s show managed to rack up a total of $3.1 billion in syndication by 2014 which was the sitcom’s peak, and channels paid in excess of $5 million for each episode’s rerun. The first 3 syndication cycles raked in $379 million as various cable channels were willing to pay through their noses for the chance to air this coveted show. Although Jerry’s share hasn’t ever been revealed, he does make a decent figure, due to the massive revenues generated via syndication and it would be correct to say that he is very wealthy. His net worth is estimated at over $800 million, an estimation which errs on the lower side. The actual figure is much higher for Jerry Seinfeld, the world’s highest paid comedian.

The Legacy Lives On

In 2015, the show struck a deal with streaming network Hulu that was worth $160 million. Obviously, a portion of the deal went to the show’s co-creator and in 2015, Jerry laughed all the way to the bank with a $36 million pay-check. Earnings from Seinfeld ensure that Jerry remains the highest-earning comedian in the world. He surely is glad that Larry David helped him stage one of the finest comedy acts of all time. The show’s legacy continues to live on, with Jennifer Armstrong mentioning it as the first sitcom that overcame the slapdash comedy barrier and transformed sitcoms into art. Additionally, many terms and phrases frequently used on the show found their way into pop culture, and continue to be in use even today.