Despite being a popular component of Netflix’s soap roster, the fifth and last season of Dynasty has appeared on Netflix globally, including the US, and will not be returning for a season 6. Here’s why Dynasty won’t be returning, as well as when we expect the show to depart Netflix. Dynasty is distributed globally by Netflix, and it is marketed and labelled as a Netflix Original outside of the United States. This has been true since the show’s inception in 2017. Back then, Netflix received weekly episodes of the show from around the world, though after a few seasons, it transitioned to complete season drops. The show was acquired by Netflix US as part of its output agreement with the network, which expired in 2019.
For those who are unfamiliar, the show is a revival of the soap drama set in high-society Atlanta, where staying rich means playing dirty for two affluent families locked in an absurd rivalry for power, status, and love. While it is not the most popular Netflix series, every new season since 2020 has appeared in the Netflix TV top tens and, according to FlixPatrol statistics, does particularly well in Mainland Europe.
What caused the cancellation of Dynasty?
While the first season of Dynasty averaged a million viewers, by the fifth season, that figure had dropped to less than 400,000. So, while the show, like many others on The CW, never drew remarkable numbers, overseas distribution and Netflix in the US carrying such series assisted renewals. That has all changed recently, with the sale of the network to The CW to Nexstar signalling a strategic shift. Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global were the previous owners. This adjustment in strategy is intended to cater to older consumers by shifting into new forms of content.
This resulted in the cancellation of a plethora of shows, including many that had recently debuted on Netflix. In The Dark, Roswell, New Mexico, The Flash, and Riverdale have all been cancelled or renewed for a final season. This has an impact on Netflix, as The CW slate coming to Netflix in 2023 will only include at least three titles, compared to a dozen in 2022. Netflix may have been able to negotiate the continuation of Dynasty, but given that the show was in its fifth season and was not performing well, it is no longer on the air. “CBS Studios, the production firm behind the series, has offered no indication that the series would be preserved,” according to Netflix Life.