Colossal investments are required if a business wants to stay ahead of its competitors, and nobody understands this better than Netflix. Despite having the largest market capitalization and the fact that they've been in the media streaming business for far longer than anybody, Netflix has yet to let up on investing in their network, to give the audience more of what they want. They are spending more and more every year on their original movies and series, and although not all of them perform as per expectations with the audience and critics what is of most importance is that new content is being created.
Over the years Netflix has taken up the production of many original series that cost millions to produce, and only a handful of them turn out to be worth the investment. The more that is spent on a single show, the higher the chances of it inflicting losses. But that hasn't stopped Netflix from taking chances, and this list looks at some of their most expensive series.
Updated on March 29th, 2021 by Kristen Palamara: Netflix continues to build its original programming of both movies and television series by releasing countless new options for viewers to watch every year. Their original programming started in 2013 and even at the beginning they were willing to finance their shows with millions in big budgets per episode. Although Netflix isn't exactly open about sharing exact budgets for their original series, there is still information out there and educated guesses about each show's budget that is typically used to pay actors, for special effects, to afford filming locations, and to make and afford authentic costumes.
15 On My Block (2018) - $2 Million Per Episode
Although $2 million per episode for a Netflix series isn't a relatively big budget, it's still a decent budget for a show that doesn't utilize special effects and isn't set in a different time period. On My Block follows a group of close-knit friends growing up in a predominantly Hispanic and black neighborhood in Los Angeles.
The series has been on for three seasons and plans to have one more season to end at four with likely 40 episodes in the entire series making it an $80 million show in total.
14 Narcos (2015) - $2.5 Million Per Episode
Netflix's Narcos followed the real-life story of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and the agents attempting to capture him in a gritty crime drama that ran for 3 seasons and continued in a spin-off called Narcos: Mexico.
The series had recognizable actors, period costumes, and several filming locations that brought in a decent-sized budget. The first season of Netflix's Narcos was estimated to cost about $25 million dollars making the ten-episode season cost about $2.5 million per episode.
13 Hemlock Grove (2013) - $4 Million Per Episode
Hemlock Grove was one of Netflix's first original series on the streaming service and it cost around $4 million per episode to make. The horror series centered on a run-down former steel town with quirky residents and killer creatures lurking in the shadows.
The series used a decent amount of special effects which is where most of the budget probably would have been spent on with some also being allotted for the costumes.
12 Orange Is the New Black (2013) - $4 Million Per Episode
Both Orange Is the New Black and Hemlock Grove are two of Netflix's very first original series, and they both came with a cost of around $4 million per episode.
But while Hemlock Grove ran for only 3 seasons consisting of 33 episodes, OITNB continued for 91 episodes across 7 seasons so evidently it cost a lot more, as budgets for a series can be expected to rise thoroughly as more seasons are produced. The female-centric comedy-drama revolves around the inmates of a woman's federal prison and the happenings of their daily lives.
11 House Of Cards (2013) - $5 Million Per Episode
Netflix's very first original series came with a rather high budget (for its time) of $4.5 million, and its success undoubtedly contributed to making Netflix the streaming giant it is today. Starring some big names such as American Beauty actor Kevin Spacey and Forrest Gump star Robin Wright, a big portion of this political drama's budget was indeed spent behind the actors.
Although the show's ratings have gone down since Kevin Spacey was forced to leave the cast in 2017, it has received a multitude of awards including 33 Emmy nominations.
10 Bridgerton (2020) - $7 Million Per Episode
Bridgerton is a new and extremely popular Netflix series, already renewed for a second season, that also has a decent budget at $7 million per episode. The show centers on the large and prominent Bridgerton family as the eight siblings of the powerful family try to find partners.
The series is set in England in the Regency era so most of the budget is likely used on costumes and location to bring to live the era and also the legendary Julie Andrews is part of the show.
9 Altered Carbon (2018) - $7 Million Per Episode
Netflix and the showrunners behind Altered Carbon have been extremely tight-lipped about the budget or costs behind the production of the show, as they usually tend to be. But while this kind of information always tends to leak out in one way or another, that hasn't happened for Altered Carbon and the closest guess that is available comes from Hollywood Reporter which places it at around $7 Million Per Episode.
Anyone who has actually seen the show will understand with ease that the attractive visuals and atmosphere that the series was praised so highly for doesn't come cheap.
8 Bloodline (2015) - $7-8 Million Per Episode
Bloodline was a mysterious thriller that followed the prominent Rayburn family who seemed perfect on the outside but there are several dangerous and deadly scandals involving the family right beneath the surface. Bloodline reportedly cost about $7-8 million per episode to produce and might be a reason why the series was cancelled after 3 seasons.
The recognizable actors in the Rayburn family, like Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, and Sissy Spacek, might have had something to do with the show being over-budget while also having an expensive location in the Florida Keys.
7 The Defenders (2017) - $8 Million Per Episode
Netflix has produced many Marvel TV shows in the past such as Daredevil and Jessica Jones, many of which have been critical hits, and they all usually came with a fixed budget of around $40 million.
$40 million for a single season of 13 episodes would mean each episode of the Marvel TV shows cost $3 million give or take, but The Defenders was a mini-series about all the other heroes from different shows such as Luke Cage and Iron Fist coming together to fight a common villain, and, instead of 13, it had 8 episodes. So per episode cost must have been higher, at $8 million according to calculations.
6 Sense8 (2015) - $9 Million Per Episode
Created by The Matrix directors The Wachowskis, the 2015 sci-fi drama series revolved around 8 strangers from all around the world who discover that they've turned into "sensates," people who are linked mentally and must find a way to survive from being hunted down by a powerful organization and other "sensates."
Although it was critically well-received and garnered a strong following of loyal fans, the show was canceled after two seasons due to the fanbase not being big enough to support the immense production costs, much of which came from filming in various countries around the world.
5 Marco Polo (2014) - $10 Million Per Episode
On the surface, Netflix's Marco Polo seemed like a big-budget project whose ambitions were on par with that of Game of Thrones, but at the end of the day, its budget and ambitions seemed to be the only thing comparable to the HBO blockbuster. Set during the 13th century, the show's premise centers around the titular historical figure Marco Polo and his time at the court of Mongol emperor Kublai Khan.
Praised for its representation of the Mongol culture, the series was ultimately canceled after two seasons by Netflix as it apparently resulted in a $200 million loss for them.
4 The Witcher (2019) - $10 Million Per Episode
Video game-based movies have somewhat of a reputation of being substandard, but 2019's The Witcher defied all stereotypes and established itself as not only a much-loved video game adaptation but a remarkable fantasy-drama show in itself which was embraced by fans worldwide.
Its 67% Rotten Tomatoes rating might give the illusion of it being not well received, but the audience rating of 92% speaks for itself. Extensive amounts of practical effects and CGI were used to bring the medieval world of Geralt the Witcher to the fans, and the inevitable sequels are definitely not going to be cheaper.
3 The Get Down (2016) - $11 Million Per Episode
While most TV shows that canceled do so after a couple of seasons, but The Get Down was canceled only after a single season, and its ginormous budget of $11 million was a major motivation for its cancellation. Created by The Great Gatsby director Baz Luhrmann, the show tells the story of the rise of hip-hop and disco music culture in New York City of 1970 from the perspective of a group of teenagers.
The production behind the show was a troubled yet devoted one, with a lot of big-name celebrities in the music and literature industry brought in to refine the storytelling and acting such as rappers Grandmaster Flash and Nas.
2 Stranger Things (2016) - $12 Million Per Episode
Since its release in 2016, Stranger Things has developed into the most popular series on Netflix and is virtually their "flagship" product. So it is no wonder they are ready and willing to throw as much money at it as necessary, thus the show's budget gets ramped up after every season.
Season 1 had a reported budget of $6 million per episode, and for season 2 the budget per episode was bumped up further 2$ million. Details about the third season have been kept under wraps, but following the trend, it surely must have risen, and there is no telling how far Netflix is willing to go for future seasons.
1 The Crown (2016) - $13 Million Per Episode
With a budget equally as lavish as the premise and setting of the show, Netflix's The Crown is a historical drama about the life of Queen Elizabeth II and her reign, with the plot focusing on specific historical junctures in her life and featuring other British royalty figures as well such as Princess Margaret and Prince Philip.
The writing and acting were all rightfully praised, but the most eye-catching aspect of the show (and indirectly its most expensive) are its lavish production values and cinematography, with special focus given to the costumes.
