Yada yada yada: Netflix to air ‘Seinfeld’ starting in 2021

LOS GATOS >> Move aside, “Friends” and “The Office.” Netflix now has a new gem — a show about nothing.

The company announced Monday it would start streaming all 180 episodes of “Seinfeld” in 2021, gaining a hugely popular addition to its library as the battle for viewers heats up.

Netflix Inc., which pioneered the binge-watching culture of streaming, was dealt a double blow this summer when it lost “The Office” and “Friends,” two of its most popular shows, as their respective owners pulled them to add to their own streaming services.

“The Office” will leave at the end of 2020 to join NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, and “Friends” will leave at the beginning of 2020 to join the upcoming HBO Max service.

It’s a battle not likely to wane as the streaming TV space grows more crowded. Netflix has created significant momentum with its original shows, but new competitors are constantly popping up, including streaming arrivals from Apple and Disney.

Still, Netflix has a head start in the online space, with its deep library of past and new shows. It struck the fiveyear deal with Sony Pictures Television for the global streaming rights to “Seinfeld,” the Emmy-winning television comedy which aired its final episode in 1998. Terms were not released.

The Los Angeles Times reported Netflix paid well above the speculated $500 million NBCUniversal paid to retake “The Office,” and the reported $150 million per year Hulu parent Walt Disney Co. currently pays for “Seinfeld.”

‘SNL’ rescinds cast invitation to Gillis over YouTube video

NEW YORK >> “Saturday Night Live” has rescinded its invitation to a cast member who posted a video last year in which he used a racial slur for Chinese people and derided Asians trying to learn English.

A show representative said Monday that the language Shane Gillis used