financial$ subscriptions New 'Star Trek' Series

[AviTrek]

Re: iTunes effect on CBSAA

I wonder if CBS will also be releasing this new series on iTunes each episode available the next day or if they will keep it exclusive in USA to CBSAA for 3 months until the end of the CBSAA episode run so for 12 episodes it would be 13 weeks.
And how much would CBS charge for 12 episodes of new Trek on iTunes?
star Trek ENT is $50. For 26 episodes in HD right now on iTunes.
Another new 26 episode 30-minute comedy "Life in Pieces" is $24.99/season so Trek is going to be at a premium for sale. As we know a season of iTunes is a season you own.

Sure a blu-ray season 1 set will be 6-8 months later. Some people want to own it longer than the subscription for CBSAA if they cancel a subscription.

It may get an iTunes release with the Blu-Ray, but I doubt CBS is going to offer it sooner. Why would they undercut the subscription service they want to sell? The only way it could happen is if they price it high enough($6/episode) so that they make more from the sale than the yearly subscription. Even then I tend to doubt it because they want to encourage the double dip.

 

[RAMA]

What’s more, CBS has been approached by more than one SVOD rival interested in reviving a “Star Trek” series. That told network execs it was a no-brainer to steer the show to CBS All Access, which is also home to the previous five “Trek” TV series, starting with the original 1966-69 edition.

http://trekcore.com/blog/2015/11/ne...aming-services-drove-cbs-all-access-decision/

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Hulu subscribers

For reference :

Hulu, which now has around 10 million paying subscribers

http://recode.net/2015/11/16/why-it-could-get-harder-to-watch-your-favorite-shows-on-hulu/

Definitely CBSAA will be far below this.

 

[AviTrek]

Re: Hulu subscribers

For reference :

Hulu, which now has around 10 million paying subscribers

http://recode.net/2015/11/16/why-it-could-get-harder-to-watch-your-favorite-shows-on-hulu/

Definitely CBSAA will be far below this.

The total CBSAA number is largely irrelevant, because that represents the subscriptions without ST'17. What matters to CBS is how many NEW subscribers CBSAA gains because of ST'17. If anything, a lower initial subscriber base helps because it means more people available to subscribe. If of the 10m Hulu has or 42m Netflix has there are a large portion that would subscribe for ST'17, well they're already paying customers and the value ST'17 would bring is only the marginal increase in keeping them subscribed. For CBS, a large portion of the subscription revenue can be attributed to ST'17 since they are new subscribers.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

CBS All Access, CBS’s subscription OTT service, has added another platform to its lineup with the launch of an app for the Amazon Fire TV box and Fire Stick

CBS All Access is also supported on iOS and Android mobile devices, Web browsers, Apple TV, Roku players and Roku TVs, Android TV devices, and the Google Chromecast adapter, with more platforms to be added to the mix in “the coming months.”

so the CBSAA is growing and positioning itself for major growth before 13 months from now.

CBS announced in September that CBS All Access will become the first app and online offering to be certified for Nielsen’s Digital in TV Ratings measurement.

This measurement will give CBS granular info for its advertisers.

http://www.multichannel.com/news/content/cbs-all-access-sparks-fire-tv-app/395524

 

[Tom_NX]

CBS All Access, CBS’s subscription OTT service, has added another platform to its lineup with the launch of an app for the Amazon Fire TV box and Fire Stick

CBS All Access is also supported on iOS and Android mobile devices, Web browsers, Apple TV, Roku players and Roku TVs, Android TV devices, and the Google Chromecast adapter, with more platforms to be added to the mix in “the coming months.”

so the CBSAA is growing and positioning itself for major growth before 13 months from now.

And now, CBS All Access comes to the Amazon Fire TV in the US:

http://www.aftvnews.com/cbs-all-access-comes-to-the-amazon-fire-tv/

 

[AviTrek]

Did you just quote the previous response and provide the exact same information?

 

[Paul Weaver]

This guy has run the numbers himself.

That’s not taking into account other forms of monetization like advertising fees or international distribution.

Then what's the point?

There's a certain ingrained arrogance that the bulk of money comes from "domestic" takings, despite that the majority of takings for most films come from outside of the US.

However there is an element of truth too. In 2013, when, Trek XII was pretty evenly split, with the US accounting for 49% of the box office receipts, and in 2009 Trek XI domestic accounted for 67% of takings.

Compare with films released the same month,

2009 Night at the Museum 2, 57% international (vs 33% for trek)
2013 Fast and Furious 6, 70% international (vs 51% for trek)

For some reason Star Trek doesn't appeal to the international market as much as the average film. I imagine that also crosses over into the cost of the TV series.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Dec.2 or 3 possible info from Moonves

We may hear something out of CBS President on Monday Dec.2 as he will keynote.

Leslie Moonves will serve as the keynote speaker at Variety’s Dealmakers breakfast on Dec. 2. The event, held in Beverly Hills, fetes the powerbrokers and kingmakers of the entertainment industry and coincides with Variety‘s annual Dealmakers Impact Report, focusing on key players driving the most significant deals in the business.

Execs from leading talent agencies, law firms, banks and production companies will be on hand to hear Moonves discuss the state of the television industry.

source

my bolding. If he is speaking to this group you know he will be mentioning the jewels of CBS going with a subscription-only viewing in USA on CBSAA and the business aspect of it to drive subscriptions. Maybe we'll get some figures or budget info.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

other series on CBSAA with subscription

“Star Trek is a family jewel; it’s an important piece of business for us as we go forward…we’re looking to do original content on All Access and build up that platform"

CBS President and CEO Les Moonves, during a conference call
November 2015
With a subscription to CBSAA it will mostly be library shows as it slowly builds original programming. Here is why:

the April 28, 2014 edition of HMM also mentions that "The CBS team is already working on Blu-ray ready versions of..."; the paragraph - which also points out that this is the same team which has been working on CBS/Paramount's BD efforts for Star Trek: The Next Generation - goes on to name 9 classic television shows: Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Bonanza, The Wild Wild West, Petticoat Junction, Dynasty, The Beverly Hillbillies, Taxi, and Twin Peaks.

the quote in the Home Media Magazine story is that they are "working on Blu-ray-ready versions": this points out that the episodes are being cleaned up to look good enough to sell on high-def Blu-ray Disc format, if CBS wanted to in the future. But that doesn't mean that this is the only place such cleaned-up episodes could be used; they could also be offered for distribution on HDTV broadcast channels, of course. Moreover, HMM pulled that paragraph from their online digital version of Chris Tibbey's write-up; clearly the magazine and CBS/Paramount didn't want fans to be confused and think that Blu-ray plans for ALL these shows are definite. We are reporting on this mainly to clear up such confusion, and make sure our readers know that Blu releases of those classic shows remains only a POSSIBILITY, and is by no means certain at this time

source

So expect these shows on CBSAA in 2017-2018:
Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Bonanza, The Wild Wild West, Petticoat Junction, Dynasty, The Beverly Hillbillies, Taxi, and Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks had a Blu-ray release and is on Netflix in HD.

 

[IndyMac]

Seems like CBS knows the demographic of their broadcast viewership and is planning to use CBSAA to allow them to relive their childhood in HD.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Other business models we may see with CBSAA and Star Trek in the USA only:
if they make the new episodes free for a week on cbs.com and paywall older ones behind CBSAA. Maybe for season 2 released one episode per week?

I saw this on Reddit

Let's say the show runs a full 22-episode season, airing an episode a week. At most it'll run for about 8 months. So really, you're not paying $72 a season, you can pay $48. Itunes and Amazon sell individual episodes for $2 a piece. So you're paying exactly the same as you would buying the episodes piecemeal as they air

I doubt it will be 22-episode season but more like 12. Even VOY was only 16 episodes. They held back 4 episodes that aired in season 2 or else season 1 would have been 20 episodes.
Business-wise CBS would make just as much money with CBSAA over 8 months as if people bought episodes on Apple's iTunes/Amazon.com/Windows Store for $2./episode. Some HD episodes cost $2.99 though so owning an episode in HD would cost a lot closer to buying a season on Blu-ray disc physical media.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Executives told an investor presentation in New York yesterday that CBS plans to release three to four original series every year on the $6-a-month service, including a new version of its "crown jewel" franchise.

It expects each series to boost subscriptions to CBS All Access and aims to have 4 million subscribers in five years, generating revenue of about $400 million a year by then.

http://m.kcci.com/news/cbs-talks-new-star-trek-show-impact-on-all-access/38543292

Say 4 shows a year at 12 episodes each over 12 weeks each is 1 year.
Probably 12 episodes for season 1.

 

[AviTrek]

http://m.kcci.com/news/cbs-talks-new-star-trek-show-impact-on-all-access/38543292

Say 4 shows a year at 12 episodes each over 12 weeks each is 1 year.
Probably 12 episodes for season 1.

Executives told an investor presentation in New York yesterday that CBS plans to release three to four original series every year on the $6-a-month service, including a new version of its "crown jewel" franchise.

That is the exact quote, anything else including episode numbers are speculation on your part. 13*4=52=1 year, so your math isn't even correct, but beyond that, it said three or four so things could be different. Also, there is no indication shows will air once a week, will premiere one at a time, or anything else.

It could be 4 shows with 100 episodes each since there is no time slot to worry about, or it could be 3 shows with 3 episodes each and a lot of reruns, we just don't know. All we know is CBS plans to have more original content than Star Trek.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

AviTrek I was being conservative and figuring CBSAA wants to keep one original series streaming at all times to keep the need for a subscription for 12 months so I thought the minimum would be for 4 series @ 12 weeks each gives 48 weeks. With a release of one episode per week. Out of 52 weeks in a year this allows for 2 weeks off during Christmas to New Years Eve 2017 and 2 weeks between the CBS network premiere of the new series and most likely 2 weeks before CBSAA starts airing exclusive episodes.