The exclusive streaming rights to the new hit series “Gotham” was snapped up by Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) even before the television broadcast of its premiere episode on September 22, 2014. This prequel of Batman will tell the story of how police detective James Gordon first chanced upon young Bruce Wayne before the arrival of the Dark Knight and is set to stream on Netflix September 2015.

The acquiring of rights to an unaired show is an unprecedented move for Netflix but after viewing the pilot episode during the L.A. international screening on May 1, they anticipated great reception to the drama series because of the in-built fanbase of both Batman and DC comics.

Licensed at $1.75 million per episode, the deal between and Netflix and Warner Bros. covers streaming rights not only in the United States but France and Germany as well. This multiple territory-licensing pact is the first between both Netflix and Warner Bros. but it further strengthens their relationship as Netflix bulks up its database continually with popular dramas from the CW series.

Typically, the rights to stream movies and TV shows are acquired after the season finale to judge the viewership response but more and more companies with subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) services are buying them earlier to gain an edge in the growing industry. With over 50 million subscribers, Netflix is leading, and it intends to stay that way with the constant addition of new TV shows and movies to its databases.

Earlier this year, they acquired the rights to stream “Blacklist,” a Sony (NYSE: SNE) produced series that had aired on NBC as well as “Better Call Saul,” a prequel to the hit series, “Breaking Bad.” This spurs competitors such as Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Hulu to do the same, with Amazon purchasing the rights of CBS (NYSE: CBS) summer-hit drama, “Under the Dome.”

With SVOD companies fighting to obtain as many movies and series and possible, Hollywood is negotiating steep licensing fees and making use of this source of revenue to produce even more dramas, making it a win-win situation for both streaming services, as well as producers.