What’s even worse than a bad demon deal? For some fans, it’s now realizing that the soft click into Netflix’s search bar for “Supernatural” won’t be as effective past December 18. For 13 long years, Supernatural has been a staple in Netflix, with a total of 327 episodes at this disposal, primed and ready to click on at any time, day or night, or even serve as background music for a long day at work. That, however, is set to come to an end, thanks not to any curse from hell, but rather a licensing deal that has had its time in the sun.
The deal between Netflix and The CW granted the streamer exclusive rights to stream all 15 seasons for a period of five years from the point of the series finale. Since the series finale aired on November 19, 2020, it is simple: the clock is just up. As bitter sweet as it is, it is a cycle of the streamer world; long-running series often switch off cycles, continued in new ways by both the series and the viewers. Even though a brief period will ensue where the Winchesters are no longer present on the main platforms, a final reprieve is just around the corner since on December 22, all seasons will be available on Peacock and Amazon Prime Video.
Supernatural has been around seemingly forever–a remarkable feat that is matched only by its level of popularity. It all started as Monster-of-the-Week storylines while the two main characters went on a road trip back in 2005, but the show quickly moved towards mythology that included the necessary doses of terror, comedy, and the warmth of family relationships. Although the relationship between the two brothers, Sam (Matt Czuchry-Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Eric Kripke-Jensen Ackles), remained constant amidst their battles against doomsday and even animated storylines, this is one supernatural phenomenon that continues to be one of the Top 20 most-watched television programs on Nielsen in 2025 with 11.9 billion minutes of viewing time, even surpassing
But for fans, this shift to Peacock and Amazon Prime may even prove to be the driving force for a revival. The show has dabbled in an expansion a number of times spin-off pilots were unfruitful, and even The Winchesters, which is a prequel and is additionally the CW’s number one show for a genre premiere in 2022, was prematurely shut down after one season due to some changes in the network. But the desire for an extension is evident. Padalecki had once asserted, “The simple answer to your question is 100%. I will play Sam Winchester again. Jensen will play Dean Winchester again. It’s sort of a timing and availability thing.” This was shared by Ackles, who added, “We continue to talk about it… If it happens, then let’s go.”
Timing may indeed be aligning. Ackles’ Prime Video series Countdown was canceled earlier this year, potentially freeing his schedule, while Kripke’s work on The Boys is winding down. The creator himself has expressed openness to returning if a fresh, untold story emerges: “If there was something out there that really surprised me, I love that universe, and I’d be interested in looking at that.”
Of course, bringing Supernatural back isn’t without its storytelling hurdles. Both brothers had closed storylines in the series finale, with Dean in Heaven and Sam living a full life before joining him there. As Misha Collins (Castiel) noted, though, The thing’s about Supernatural is that they have parallel universes and time travel. So we can always go back and do it before they leave. Countless fans are dissatisfied with certain narrative decisions; a do-over would revitalize the series despite these issues. Until then, for the hard core fan, the attention is on enjoying the journey of the series’ transformation.
Peacock and Prime Video will offer access to the entire landmark series from the chilling “Woman in White” case of the pilot to the meta treasures “The French Mistake” and “Scoobynatural.” Looking at the vast ever-changing landscape of the show for a structured rewatch perspective would include the many storylines of urban legends, humorous diversions, and the show’s most profound explorations into the characters on an emotional level.
While December 18th does indeed signal the end of the Netflix era for the Winchesters, it’s certainly not goodbye by any means. The Winchesters are off on their next adventure down yet another road, and one thing that’s sure to ring true to Supernatural fanatics by now is that there’s rarely ever truly an end where the Supernatural world is concerned.
