Record Weekend for Subscriptions for CBS All Access

Viewership of the AFC title game was massive, and given the prevalence of cord-cutting, of course that game would be a big driver of CBSAA subs,

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/l...ts-huge-tv-ratings-sunday-jan-20-2019-1177668

It doesn't make one a Doomcock to see thru corporate PR spin.

 

But it was also shown FREE on broadcast TV, which would seem to dim the thought of it being a MAJOR factor by itself.

 

Except last year CBS said that Discovery, and only Discovery, led to record AA signups.

https://www.cbscorporation.com/cbs-...r-record-high-for-weekly-subscriber-sign-ups/

 

To be fair, ST: D S1 started in September - so there was no Football (or other Sports Championship going on at the time that they were also carrying.)

Jeez, people just want to think "No one would EVER sign up for ST: D; so it MUST be 'Corporate spin'..."

 

I'm sure it did. Last year it was the first Star Trek on TV in a decade-plus. This year? I'm sure it helped drive the subscription numbers, but there is likely more too it than just Trek.

Of course, only CBS really knows how the numbers break down.

 

Parrot Analytics believes Discovery was fifth in streaming shows.

What's Parrot Analytics? Are they legit? BBC Worldwide seems to think so.

https://variety.com/2015/digital/ne...ches-with-bbc-worldwide-as-client-1201591419/

PA also thought Discovery did well last year too.

https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/sta...show-in-the-us-uk-according-to-report.294744/

But yeah, only CBS knows for sure.

 

With an average subscriber age of 44, STD fits well into CBS All Access's programming strategy. Just as in broadcast, CBS is well positioned with older viewers, and Kurtzman's being put in charge of retreading Trek looks like it was a natural fit based on his track record with other CBS reboots and procedurals.

 

Considering the average age for CBS the television network is 60, they're probably really happy with the average age being 44 for CBS All Access. That's about where the CW is and younger than FOX.

 

I don't ever want to go so old, that I actually enjoy watching FOX News.

 

Age has NOTHING to do with it - it's mindset.

 

Fox has a news service? I thought they existed to broadcast The Orville.

 

https://deadline.com/2019/01/star-t...-alex-kurtzman-cbs-all-access-tca-1202545919/

Kurtzman on STD Season 2:
“We have a lot of big ideas we’ve already started working on, so hopefully we’ll get the pickup and we’ll be off to the races,” the Trekverse overlord said today during the TCA winter press tour session for the just-launched Season 2 of the CBS All Access series.

If Discovery was such a hit I'm skeptical he'd say that.

 

You don't want to jinx yourself, and you don't want to look like you are bragging. I imagine he already knows the show will have a third season.

 

In your dreams that would be their sole purpose.

 

That's some straw grasping. The season 2 order wasn't announced until five episodes into season 1.

Going by Parrot Analytics Demand measurement, Discovery has been doing well US and Internationally. Why is this relevant? CBS is PA's client for International demand tracking, so CBS clearly cares about these results.

 

Don't be so sure, there are a SIZABLE numbers of cord-cutters (as I mentioned, with no broadcast service) who might spring for a month of CBS that gives you not just Patriots-Chiefs, but also the SUPER BOWL of Brain Trauma featuring Tony Romo*, plus Star Trek: Red Things.

I surely know people whose only form of "television" is Netflix.

(reddit basement-dwellers provided Google analytics that showed internet searches for CBSAA spiking on Sunday for the game. could they be Hulu moles? who can say)

Anyway, CBSAA has a long uphill climb even if Discovery was the greatest show since season 3 of Mannix, considering how much Netflix and Bezos are spending on original content.

*technically the Super Bowl is available to stream for free on CBS website, but who would want to risk buffering during the pageantry of Wade Phillips' 3-decades-old defense...

 

It shows people will pay for CBS All Access, of which the basic subscription still streams commercials at the viewer.The article's headline spins it in another direction.

What it doesn't show is what the customers why sign up for a free week or first-time are feeling at the time. Yes, they want to see a show and more than one was stated. Do they all want to sign up for this with the rigmarole?

And we all already pay for commercials for products shown. If you want your cereal or butter or other product lower in cost, get rid of commercials. Look up the cost of a commercial's creation and then divvy it up into probable number of units sold. It's never been free. Just do what they do for BBT, reduce program time and shove in more commercials.

How many CBS All Access free-week subscriptions get canceled or not extended?

The article seems lax on details and numbers. The fact the "news" article states actual numbers were not released... one would get better numbers standing underneath a pigeon in a park.

Never mind release dates. DSC is released every Thursday. The article discusses WEEKEND. If it were first and foremost about DSC then wouldn't they all be lining up to get their free first dose on, say, Wednesday? Seems like they're trying to piggyback DSC atop the more popular football. Not like that's all that difficult to deduce, either - as many people point out. Again, the lack of any actual numbers renders "take that, haters" from other angry people somewhat moot.

So they replace a box with a cable attached with... a more expensive box, which not only has to be replaced every 3 or 4 years (so divide the price of the computer by number of years you keep it) and needs a lot more software but we needn't go into specifics there as that will spike the proverbial ball, but also has a different cable attached... As with the new type of box, so does the new cable broadband service attached... then on top of all that add in streaming costs. Now add in the number of streaming services people pay for, like that's necessary. There is no cord cutting. Just cord switching.

 

None of the streaming services release numbers so CBS All Access is not unique in that regard. What is unique is that Discovery is aired in over 180 countries within 24 hours of each other. That has never happened in the history of Star Trek. Yes, CBS All Access subscriptions are important and we don’t have any hard numbers but its performance on Space and Crave in Canada and Netflix everywhere else also matter.

If it were not a success, why would they ever give Kurtzman a deal to develop new Star Trek shows to have Star Trek on all the time?

 

The amount of mental gymnastics and rationalizing that goes on never ceases to amaze me.

 

Replace a box with another, more expensive box? Are you serious? Most cord cutters aren’t streaming from their PCs. My “more expensive box” is a $25 Roku that plugs into my 60in TV. You’re really reaching or do not understand the technology. I went from a $150 cable/internet package to a $30 internet plan, $25 Roku, and $20 for 3 premium streaming services. I more than halved my costs for more content.