Netflix is confirming that it has officially picked up a third season of House Of Cards. This marks the first renewal for the Washington DC drama, which originally landed at the streaming company with a straight-to-series two-season order. The deal for a third season comes after months of negotiations and ahead of House Of Cards’ second-season debut next week. “Our intent is that the show keep going for sure,” Netflix‘s Ted Sarandos said back in October. “It was a 26-episode commitment. It was not our intent that it just run for two seasons.” House Of Cards has become a signature series for Netflix the way Mad Men has been for AMC. It put the streaming service on the original programming map and opened the door to creators and producers. Netflix’s follow-up series, Hemlock Grove and Orange Is The New Black, both have been renewed for a second season, and Netflix is continuing negotiations for another installment — episodes or movie — of Arrested Development. Netflix’s $100 million commitment to MRC-produced House Of Cards off of a pitch raised eyebrows at the time as one of the biggest gambles in recent TV history, with the streaming giant outbidding a bevvy of TV heavy hitters. Netflix recently made another gigantic commitment to four series and a miniseries from Marvel.