Netflix, Inc., the world's leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows, and Lionsgate, a leading global entertainment company, today announced a multiyear syndication deal in which Lionsgate has licensed the first four seasons of its Emmy Award-winning series Mad Men to be watched instantly by Netflix members starting July 27, with additional seasons being added annually after they complete airing on their respective seasons on the AMC network.

Under a separate agreement, the first four seasons of Mad Men are already available to watch instantly streaming from Netflix in Canada.

"Mad Men has been and continues to be a representation of TV at its best and Netflix is proud to be the syndication home for this acclaimed series," said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix. "This deal secures long term instant access to an iconic show for Netflix members for years to come."

"We're delighted to partner with Netflix to begin our syndication of Mad Men," said Lionsgate President and Co-Chief Operating Officer Steve Beeks. "We have ensured Mad Men's value for years to come by layering today's unique syndication deal with a leading digital distribution partner on top of last week's licensing agreement with AMC. The innovative structure of our distribution plan underscores the tremendous value of producing and owning content in a digital world where demand for content continues to grow and pathways for reaching consumers continue to diversify. We will announce our transactional digital plans and other elements of our syndication strategy for Mad Men shortly."

Lionsgate announced last week that it has entered into a new three-year agreement with Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner to continue as showrunner and Mad Men will return to AMC for Seasons 5 and 6 with the expectation of a seventh season as well.

When Mad Men debuted in July 2007 it quickly became one of the most talked about series on television. Set in 1960s New York, Mad Men is a sexy and provocative original drama that follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising. Produced, distributed and owned by Lionsgate, Mad Men has made television history as the only cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama and the Golden Globe for Best Television Series-Drama for three consecutive years.

Mad Men's award-winning ensemble cast includes Golden Globe-winner Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, Jared Harris, Rich Sommer, Aaron Staton, Robert Morse and Kiernan Shipka.