We have just discovered that CBS is working in the United States to carry its new Star Trek shows to Netflix. The business currently has four new star trek series that air on its CBS All-Access streaming network: Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Short Treks. All four have struggled to attract an audience, and while some can blame the content of the shows, my CBS sources tell me they agree that the big issue is getting the word out about CBS All-Access.
In the past, they tried to raise awareness by broadcasting several episodes of Star Trek: Discovery on the CBS network, but it didn’t succeed. When it aired on network television, the show only received a 0.2 rating. So now, CBS is considering adding some of its Star Trek streaming programming to Netflix instead, according to my source.
This source is the same source that was first to break the news of the direct streaming of Wonder Woman 1984. They are heavily involved in multiple streaming deals, and although I can not disclose the identity of my source, I have checked where they got their data. They’re reliable.
Proof of my menopausal brain.
Spent all of last night cursing that I couldn’t find Star Trek Discovery on Amazon Prime anymore.
Realised this morning it’s on Netflix.
*sigh*#StarTrekDiscovery #discoveringimlosingitmorelike pic.twitter.com/2rgAMJoil5— Nic Dracas (@nicdracas) December 16, 2020
According to my exclusive source, CBS claims that audiences who are already prepared to spend cash on streaming will be able to get crossover to CBS All-Access by offering some of its Star Trek shows to Netflix subscribers. So they are in talks to introduce to Netflix Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Star Trek has a good presence on Netflix now. Many other older Star Trek series, such as Star Trek: Enterprise, are currently available to watch through legacy Netflix streaming deals. So there is a Star Trek fan base on Netflix and they have not yet crossed over to CBS All-Access to watch any of the new Trek programming in many cases. It makes sense that those viewers will want CBS to court.
It remains to be seen if it will only be older Discovery, Picard, and probably Lower Decks episodes that will end up on Netflix, or if they will actually get to air new ones when they’re released. Obviously, Netflix would like new series, but selling them the rights to CBS would possibly mean that they are finally giving up as an ongoing problem on CBS All-Access.
It is worth noting that recently, CBS and Netflix have already closed several other deals, deals that will carry the uber-sized streaming platform to other new CBS series. For eg, instead of hoarding it for exclusive viewing on their own streaming CBS All-Access network, CBS just licensed Netflix for the first season of their new show Evil & Unicorn. For the two companies to work together, there is an existing course, and working together on Star Trek is the greatest possible game.
I totally agree that a big part of the problem is that these shows are only on a garbage streaming service like CBS All-Access. I’m currently watching the shows on, lets say, in a dubious manner. I would gladly pay to see them on a streaming service where I would be paying to see more shows on the sevice besides just the Star Trek shows since there is nothing I am interested in watching on CBS
Well, discovery is available on Netflix, except for in the US. It will soon be available on US Netflix and so will be Picard.