There’s been talks for weeks about if The Walking Dead IP is being sold to the highest bidder. Many fans speculated and commented on which provider they hope wins the wars, some mentioning that they don’t care who gets it, “as long as we get a Daryl and Rick reunion.” Turns out – it’s not so cut and dry.

AMC is not selling the Intellectual Property of The Walking Dead, they’re in a bidding process to sell (or renegotiate) the global streaming and licensing rights for the show’s back catalogs. The episodes that are up for this bidding process are the flagship show’s 177 episodes (therefore not including spin-offs, which are here to stay on AMC+). AMC Global Media CEO Kristin Dolan confirmed that they are in talks with “very large and enthusiastic partners” regarding the future streaming home of the main series. 

What’s the difference between Intellectual Property and Global Streaming/Licensing rights?

Intellectual property, commonly abbreviated as IP, are “creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce,” according to the World Intellectual Property Organization. So, TWD is not going to be sold to a company to continue the story line.

What is happening is the rights to stream the show on a streaming platform are up for grabs. AMC currently has a deal with Netflix to keep the flagship show on their platform until 2027, where it’s going next is unknown. According to Deadline, Dolan confirmed the show “generated nearly half a billion hours of viewership on Netflix in the second half of 2025.” Meaning, whoever gets the rights will be paying a pretty penny to do so. 

Not all hope is lost for those wishing for a twelfth season of The Walking Dead. An industry insider is swirling a rumor that the show will come back with the main cast (https://x.com/BeyondReporter_/status/2049243525284250081). Take it with a grain of salt – not much more information is to be found about this potential wrap up season. 

For now, stream The Walking Dead on Netflix and catch up before the final season of Daryl Dixon hits our screens later this year. 

Hopefully more exciting information to come at convention season…