10 of the highest grossing TV shows of all time
Creating a TV series that stands the test of time is not only an incredibly impressive feat...
It's also the gateway to a lot of money.
While exact revenue numbers for TV series aren't always disclosed, these estimates – written in Aussie dollars – give a rough idea of just how much money a beloved show can bring in.
One word you'll see a lot in this list is syndication – this is the process of selling TV rights to other organisations for broadcast. Yes, it's the reason Friends still appears on our screens to this day!
Along with reruns, many of these shows also share licensing deals, merchandising and cultural impact in common, as well as just being damn good entertainment.
From '90s sitcoms to police procedurals, here are some of the highest grossing TV shows of all time.
Scroll through to find out which show holds the top spot...
7. Game of Thrones – $3.6 billion+
Game of Thrones' money-making ability was just like Daenerys Targaryen's dragons: formidable.
While it was pretty expensive to create, especially in later seasons, GoT was definitely worth the investment for its production company, HBO.
While airing, it earned its billions through subscriber fees and international deals.
The series also has a huge merchandise market, raking in cash for collector's edition DVDs, board games, jewellery and almost anything else you can think of.
4. Seinfeld – $7.2 billion+
There's a reason Bloomberg declared Jerry Seinfeld a billionaire in 2024!
'The show about nothing' was a huge cultural touchpoint throughout its 1989 to 1998 original run, and its relevance has not waned since – in fact, reruns have earned an estimated $6.3 billion!
Despite airing decades before streaming, Seinfeld also secured a lot of cash more recently, with Netflix paying almost $800m for the global streaming rights in 2021.
3. The Big Bang Theory – $7.2 billion+
The Big Bang Theory started off slowly, but grew to a ratings juggernaut by its third season.
And it never slowed back down.
In fact, the series reportedly brought in more than $200m in ad revenue alone for US network CBS each season.
The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019 after 12 seasons, but streaming and syndication deals meant the money hasn't stopped flowing.
2. Friends – $7.6 billion+
Everyone's favourite comfort watch may have ended more than 20 years ago in 2004, but it's made billions since.
When it first aired on US network NBC, the series actually lost money for the first four years... but then came syndication.
In 2021, Forbes estimated Friends had earned $7.6 billion for production company Warner Bros. with syndication deals – and the main cast each take home about $31.6 million annually thanks to those reruns.
1. The Simpsons – $22 billion+
Thirty-six seasons, 782 episodes... it's not surprising that nothing can come close to touching The Simpsons mind-blowing $22 billion grossing.
Perhaps some of that will eventually trickle down and allow Homer to retire from the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant?
Since it's debut in 1989, The Simpsons has pulled in its whopping fortune through syndication deals across the world and vast merchandising, from toys to video games.
It is the longest-running American sitcom and animated series and has no end in sight – which means its money-making is only set to continue well into the future.
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