Netflix said Wednesday it had signed a deal giving it worldwide subscription video rights to "Gotham," a new series on the origins of Batman.

Based on the Batman comic character, the series debuts this month on the Fox network in the United States.

Netflix subscribers around the world will be able to view it starting in 2015, a company statement said.

"Gotham is the most anticipated new series of the fall season and we are thrilled to offer it to our members around the world," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix.

"The Batman origin story is sure to have massive global appeal so it is fitting that, along with Warner Television, we have created a new model for distributing a show that international and domestic audiences will love."

The series produced by Warner Bros studios takes place in Gotham City, with young detective and future police commissioner James Gordon and the recently orphaned Bruce Wayne meet before the arrival of the Dark Knight.

"In this era of new business models and expanding windows, this is an unprecedented deal for our company and our industry," said Jeffrey Schlesinger, president for worldwide television distribution at Warner Bros.

"While we typically license our programming country by country, we have licensed this very special series to Netflix on a multi-territory basis. Netflix is a perfect home for Gotham following its initial broadcast in each respective country, giving Netflix subscribers the opportunity to catch-up prior to the new season, whether they're already fans or discovering it for the first time."

Netflix, which has been a leader in streaming video, recently announced it has some 50 million subscribers in over 40 countries.

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