Report: AMC, Lionsgate Negotiating a New Mad Men Deal

The companies behind Mad Menare already looking ahead to a possible sixth season even before the Emmy-winning drama's much-anticipated fourth season begins Sunday, according to Variety.

Check out photos of the Mad Men cast

AMC, the network which airs the show, and Lionsgate, the company that produces it, have an agreement for five seasons. But they're already negotiating for a possible sixth season and beyond, according to the report.The early negotiations could be in response to the fact that Lionsgate only has Mad Men creator and executive producer Matthew Weiner under contract through the end of this season. Lionsgate most likely wants to know how much AMC is willing to pay for the show before beginning negotiations with Weiner.

Mad Men to end after six seasons?

Earlier this year, Weiner reportedly indicated that he couldn't envision writing the show for more than six seasons.Lionsgate declined to comment on the report, while AMC released the following statement:  "We never comment on ongoing negotiations. Right now our major focus is on launching Season 4 on July 25."