"Nyssa" <Nyssa@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:ftjeej$7jp$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> KalElFan wrote:
>
>> "David" <dimlan17@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>> news:018lv3dcp1sfg3272vm0anksn35mpupsgu@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>
>>> ... CBS Paramount Network Television
>>> has held talks with Comcast, the cable provider, about finding new
>>> life for "Jericho," the low-rated drama canceled by CBS last month,
>>> according to two people briefed on the talks who requested anonymity.
>>
>> There are a couple of things interesting about this. The first is that
>> CBS, after issuing a statement basically canceling the show for the
>> second time and seemingly trying to preempt another fan campaign,
>> has apparently been trying to keep the show going behind the scenes.
>>
>> It's almost like they're afraid to let whatever the pickup deadline is
>> go by, when SciFi or one of the other interested networks might
>> pick up the show. They might end up looking bad if it turns out a
>> partner****p kind of arrangement keeps the show going for years,
>> profitability, and they missed the New Paradigm boat when they
>> couldn't make that happen themselves like NBC did with DirecTV
>> for Friday Night Lights.
>>
>> The other interesting thing is what form the synergy would take.
>> With Friday Night Lights being shown on DirecTV 4 months early,
>> it's apparently DirecTV trying to get more subscribers. Cancelling
>> your cable and setting up a dish just to see Friday Night Lights a
>> few months early seems a stretch. Only 2% or so of the population
>> watches the show, so it doesn't even make that big a difference,
>> as a perk, to existing DirecTV subscribers. But there is some
>> promotional value just getting DirecTV`s name out there, and if
>> even only 10,000 make the jump and stay with DirecTV as a
>> result it'd work out to $10+ million in subscriber revenue over
>> the next 5 years.
>>
>> There's also strengthening of customer loyalty if subscribers see
>> it as part of DirecTV carrying more and more exclusive content.
>> Maybe they don't watch Friday Night Lights but perhaps they
>> will the next addition like this.
>>
>> What I think would work perhaps even better for Comcast as
>> a CBS Paramount cable partner, would be an exclusive television
>> advance pay-per-season package as Jericho`s first window, and
>> then a later free window for Comcast customers before it airs
>> on CBS. The price of the advance pay-per-season package may
>> be $25 for 13 episodes, for example, with individual episodes also
>> available but for $3.99 perhaps. If you have Comcast you buy it
>> that way. If you don't, maybe a month later the web pay-per-
>> season (and pay-per-episode) showings start for the same price.
>>
>> Those who don't want to pay can see it on Comcast for free, say
>> a month before CBS gets it. CBS gets a much-reduced license
>> fee so it can afford to put up with lower ratings or put it in a
>> Friday or Saturday timeslot where ratings pressure is less. With
>> some extra features, CBS may even get the pay subscribers and
>> the Comcast subscribers, the ones with Nielsen boxes especially,
>> to watch the show again.
>>
>> That scenario really capitalizes on a show's loyalty, including giving
>> its core base an op****tunity to financially sup****t the show upfront.
>> In Canada here it might be Rogers instead of Comcast, and I'd buy
>> the $25 season subscription. If it were ExpressVu (a Canadian
>> satellite provider), I'd pay $25 for the Jericho web subscription.
>> Every viewer of the show has a chance to sup****t it upfront.
>>
>> How many would? That's a key question obviously. Millions
>> pay to see popular movies. Millions will buy a popular movie
>> DVD. Others wait to see it on free TV. The equivalent kind of
>> windows have never really been tried for TV, at least not in this
>> modern era with DVRs and easy clicking to order PPV, and the
>> popularity of the Internet. But if one million were willing to pay
>> the $25 and most of them did so on the web, it'd pretty much
>> pay for the whole 13-episode season and make Jericho a big
>> moneymaker for years.
>>
>> One million might seem unachievable, but start a campaign and
>> with some willing to buy gift subscriptions maybe it`s doable
>> for some shows with a very strong core base. It`d make such
>> a show financially lucrative for years, just on the strength of its
>> core base sup****t. Even if a few hundred thousand were to
>> sup****t it (again, less if some buy gift subscriptions or give
>> to a campaign sup****ting giveaways of that and promotion of
>> the show) it would make a big enough financial contribution to
>> the show to make it solidly viable. DVD packages with extras
>> would be certain to contribute some, as would advertising or
>> the related network window licensing fee, plus foreign rights.
>> A show like Jericho is probably well in the black even without
>> any aftermarket or syndication revenues.
>
> I like this thinking!
>
> ... I'd definitely get any DVDs that would come out.
>
> Now if only the suits in charge can do similar calculations
> and come up with the right answer.
Awareness would be key. Probably 8+ million people in
the U.S. and Canada were watching Jericho live or on DVR
or on the Internet. Unlike Nielsen's ratings, pay-per-season
wouldn't rely on a Nielsen box or place a premium on 18-49
or even live viewing at a particular time. Every $25 counts.
The larger the awareness, especially among the 8+ million
already watching, the better the PPS gross would be. Ease
of ordering would also be im****tant, including a way to
order a gift subscription even if it's donated to some
promotional give-away campaign.
At some point, I think some network show with a strong
core base is going to make this jump to a pay per season
first window. It's a perfect op****tunity for CBS to try it
with a 13-episode season of Jericho. If Comcast won't
invest in an exclusive arrangement, CBS should do it
themselves via the web and offer the same window to
all cable and satellite providers for a percentage of the
gross.
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