EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Television has finalized a new licensing deal with Paramount Global for comedy series The King of Queens to continue to be available on Paramount linear cable networks. The new pact also includes for the first time streaming rights on Paramount+ for all nine seasons and on Pluto TV for some (currently Seasons 1-3).
Paramount Global would not specify which linear networks will be carrying The King Of Queens. The sitcom has been running on the company’s TV Land and CMT.
Sony TV took The King of Queens out a year ago, offering rights across all linear and digital platforms starting in April 2024. The new pact with Paramount Global kicked in at the start of the month, with the show already available on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
The deal is not exclusive — The King of Queens continues to also be available on NBCU platforms, including Peacock, as well as in broadcast syndication.
“We are thrilled to extend our long-standing relationship with Paramount through this multi-platform agreement for one of the most iconic sitcoms in SPT’s library,” said Flory Bramnick, EVP, Distribution, Sony Pictures Television.
Added Monica Veiga, SVP, US Distribution, Sony Pictures Entertainment, “The King of Queens is one of those rare, beloved comedies that consumers of all demos clamor for and continues to yield strong performance on any platform.”
The King of Queens, starring Kevin James, Leah Remini and the late Jerry Stiller, aired for nine seasons on CBS from 1998-2007. In the series, set in Rego Park, Queens, New York, a blue-collar married couple, Doug (James), a deliveryman, and Carrie (Remini), a secretary at a law firm, who both live with Carrie’s oddball father, Arthur (Stiller), try to make the best of what they got while trying to make their marriage somewhat normal and getting through tiny problems that they have together, even the occasional run-in with Carrie’s father.
The comedy is produced by Hanley Productions and CBS Productions in association with SPT. It was created by Michael J. Weithorn and David Litt, and executive produced by Tony Sheehan, Kevin James, Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa, Jeff Sussman, David Bickel, Ilana Wernick, Chris Downey, Rock Reuben and Rob Schiller.
“Paramount recognized the importance of consolidated cross-platform negotiations years ago to deliver entertainment to audiences anywhere and everywhere they consume content,” said Barbara Zaneri, Chief Program Acquisitions Officer, Paramount Global. “We look forward to continuing to execute industry-leading deals that give fans more ways to watch what they love across our multiplatform ecosystem of cable and streaming products.”
