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Library/Series/The Seinfeld finale
Grade B19 sourcesHIS-01466

The Seinfeld finale

Series · 1998 · Notable

51Editable slideCertificate

Seinfeld's finale drew an average US television audience of 76.3 million.

Clip · Seinfeld on YouTube
Clip · Seinfeld on YouTube
Jerry Seinfeld shares regrets on ‘Seinfeld’ finale: ‘There was a lot of pressure’
TODAY / NBC News
This set was used in the Seinfeld last episode The Finale . Warner Bros. Studio Facilities, Burbank. “ Same As It Never Was ”
Marcin Wichary from San Francisco, U.S.A. / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Jerry's Pilot Gets Picked Up | The Finale | Seinfeld
Seinfeld on YouTube

Spread Score

How it works
Reach44Contagion35Breadth40Velocity100LongevityNo data yet51

Numbers

NBC total-viewer estimate; overlaps Nielsen audience, unaudited
108M
As of May 14, 1998 · TV · Self-reported · Los Angeles Times
Seed to peak proxy
same day
May 14 ’98 to May 14 ’98
Platforms
3
Started on TV
Origin
Seeded
Entertainment

Mechanics

  • Mystery & lore
  • Press loopPrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Controversy
  • Pairing

How it spread

Trace the origin

NBC kept the finale's plot secret and promoted it through news coverage. It drew 76.3 million US viewers as fans gathered for parties. Its courtroom ending drew criticism and later resurfaced in Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak.

Jan ’97NovMay ’98Jan ’01Jun ’05Nov ’09Apr ’14Aug ’16Jul ’18Apr ’21Jan ’24OctPressTVOpen web
PressTVOpen web

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Timeline (16)

  1. December 1997

    TIME precursor · Dec 26 ’97

    TIME reported that NBC had confirmed Seinfeld would end production and planned a finale.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. March 1998

    Los Angeles Times precursor · Mar 16 ’98

    The Los Angeles Times reported that a fabricated finale outline had circulated online and reached the Daily News.[2]

  3. April 1998

    Seinfeld cast / Castle Rock Entertainment precursor · Apr 9 ’98

    The cast finished the invitation-only finale taping while the ending remained secret.[3]

  1. precursor · May 13 ’98

  2. precursor · May 13 ’98

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Why it worked

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Origin
Seeded
Sector
Entertainment
Region
US
NBC total-viewer estimate; overlaps Nielsen audience, unaudited
108M
As of May 14, 1998 · TV · Self-reported · Los Angeles Times
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Film · Box office · 202461

Longlegs

NEON (US distributor); Osgood Perkins (writer-director)

Neon’s cipher-led horror campaign preceded a $22.4 million record opening.

$125.4M on a $10M budget

1 / 8

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