CBS' upcoming TV reboot of Star Trek will stay SVOD-only across the globe, with Netflix signing on to distribute the show in 188 countries.
The international programming deal with Netflix also includes 727 episodes of Star Trek series, including the original show, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise.
CBS Corp. is set to begin filming its latest iteration of Star Trek in Vancouver, with the initial air date for the how slated for the CBS Television Network in January. After that premiere, the first and all subsequent episodes will be available in the U.S. exclusively on the CBS All Access SVOD platform.
This development, of course, is being closely watched by pay-TV operators as CBS is spearheading fast-rising broadcast retransmission licensing fees which are collectively projected to reach $10.6 billion by 2020, according to SNL Kagan.
"The launch of the new Star Trek will truly be a global television event," said Armando Nuñez, president and CEO, CBS Studios International. "Star Trek is already a worldwide phenomenon and this international partnership will provide fans around the world, who have been craving a new series for more than a decade, the opportunity to see every episode virtually at the same time as viewers in the U.S. Thanks to our world-class partners at Netflix, the new Star Trek will definitely be 'hailing on all frequencies' throughout the planet."
CBS has not disclosed how many viewers are subscribing to its SVOD platform. CBS Corp. has told Wall Street that the service will reach 4 million subscribers by 2020.
For more:
- read this Netflix press release
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