Netflix to air new Top Gear?
March 4, 2016
Netflix is said to be in talks with the BBC to stream the new series of Top Gear, in a deal that could see the show go head to head globally with Jeremy Clarkson’s new Amazon Prime show.
The revamped Top Gear, which will be hosted by Chris Evans, Matt Le Blanc and Eddie Jordan, is said to have gone down well with overseas buyers when a clip was aired at a showcase last month. They included executives from Netflix, which already airs old episodes of the hit BBC show, and has 75 million subscribers around the world. The talks are understood to be in early stages.
Netflix’s interest is likely to cause some concern at rival Amazon, which spent a reported £160 million (€207m) hiring the original Top Gear trio of Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May to present a new car show. Before the trio signed with Amazon, Netflix considered an offer but concluded it was too expensive.