A new rumor claims that Star Trek: Discovery & Picard may be moving from CBS All Access to Netflix, ahead of All Access’ name change in 2021.
Star Trek: Discovery & Picard have not been the hit that CBS All Access has been hoping for. Since the service launched, the engagement and subscriber count has been shockingly low. This was at a time when Netflix and a fledgling Amazon (streaming-wise) were really all that existed. Then Disney+, Apple TV, HBO Max, Shudder, Hallmark, and other streaming services have popped up as well. Not to mention the numerous sports services that now exist. So it’s no surprise to find out that CBS All Access often has its subscriber count hidden away by ViacomCBS when they combine All Access’ numbers with Showtimes. That’s why it makes sense that Discovery and Picard could wind up on Netflix in some form.
According to Giant Freaking Robot, the concern with the new Trek series is the fact they’re behind a paywall on a small streaming platform. This is literally what everyone said would happen but ok. Giant Freaking Robot’s Liana Keane is claiming that ViacomCBS is considering moving Discovery and some other Trek properties over to Netflix to raise its profile. A theory that might work, considering that Netflix significantly dwarfs All Access’ subscriber base.
The rumor does state that this doesn’t mean Netflix is getting new episodes. It may just be that they’re sharing their library with Netflix, so that older episodes can get more exposure.
For those who doubt the author’s credibility, she specifically cites the same source who told them about Wonder Woman heading to streaming services as the source for this story.
Star Trek shows cost a lot of money to make. Star Trek: Picard cost around $9 million an episode for ten episodes. We can just round up to $100 million for the first season, while the second will have an even bigger budget. For instance, with inflation, Star Trek: Voyager cost $4.5 million per episode, across 22 episodes. That’s $99 million, and you shot 12 more episodes. There’s no way two shows, that cost around $200 million total, is making All Access enough money. So leasing them out to Netflix to help cover the costs is plausible.
Even if it’s just reruns.