It’s clear the writer of this blog doesn’t really understand how IP in the entertainment industry works.
I think it’s inevitable P+ will shut down as Viacom really wants to spin off or sell Paramount. The best possible outcome is either before or after that happens, the Star Trek brand and IP will be sold separately to somebody who really wants to continue making content (like Disney with Lucasfilm). The worst possible outcome is that it’s packaged with everything else the studio owns and the new owner shuts it all down and gatekeeps anyone else from doing anything with the brand (either by refusing to license the IP or just putting everything on linear TV or other services to help recoup the acquisition cost to maintain brand equity).
The one thing the article does get right is that licensing content to Netflix isn’t sustainable. However one thing I would add is that valuing any of P+’s is really difficult given their low subscriber numbers make brand popularity hard to underwrite. Putting things on Netflix is a good start to help future owners feel like new Star Trek content is worth making.
If Paramount+ shuts down, so does new Star Trek. The shows are expensive and the recoup is from merchandising and the like which licenses to other streamers wouldn’t benefit from. Otherwise Netflix could have made one in 2010s when had most of Trek.
Let me get this straight. TV studios create new content to be viewed in their new paid streaming service only. Then they wonder why they can’t money producing these shows like they would do in syndication?
3 comments
It’s clear the writer of this blog doesn’t really understand how IP in the entertainment industry works.
I think it’s inevitable P+ will shut down as Viacom really wants to spin off or sell Paramount. The best possible outcome is either before or after that happens, the Star Trek brand and IP will be sold separately to somebody who really wants to continue making content (like Disney with Lucasfilm). The worst possible outcome is that it’s packaged with everything else the studio owns and the new owner shuts it all down and gatekeeps anyone else from doing anything with the brand (either by refusing to license the IP or just putting everything on linear TV or other services to help recoup the acquisition cost to maintain brand equity).
The one thing the article does get right is that licensing content to Netflix isn’t sustainable. However one thing I would add is that valuing any of P+’s is really difficult given their low subscriber numbers make brand popularity hard to underwrite. Putting things on Netflix is a good start to help future owners feel like new Star Trek content is worth making.
If Paramount+ shuts down, so does new Star Trek. The shows are expensive and the recoup is from merchandising and the like which licenses to other streamers wouldn’t benefit from. Otherwise Netflix could have made one in 2010s when had most of Trek.
Let me get this straight. TV studios create new content to be viewed in their new paid streaming service only. Then they wonder why they can’t money producing these shows like they would do in syndication?