CBS Announces International Distribution Plans For New Star Trek Series

CBS will be partnering with Netflix internationally to deliver the new Star Trek series, set to debut in January 2017.

From the CBS press release:

 Netflix and CBS Studios International today announced a landmark international licensing agreement for the new STAR TREK television series. Netflix will be the exclusive premiere home of STAR TREK in 188 countries (excluding the U.S. and Canada). Each episode of the new series will be available globally within 24 hours of its U.S. premiere.

Additionally, all 727 existing episodes of the iconic “Star Trek” television library – including “Star Trek: The Original Series,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,”  “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” “Star Trek: Voyager” and “Star Trek: Enterprise” will be available on Netflix around the world by the end of 2016.


“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 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.”

“STAR TREK is one of the most iconic shows in television history and we’re thrilled to partner with CBS to bring the beloved series to Trekkies around the world,” said Sean Carey, Vice President of Global Television at Netflix. “The newest chapter of the story promises to continue the rich tradition of adventure and is sure to excite fans everywhere Netflix is available.”

In the U.S., the new STAR TREK will launch with a special premiere episode on the CBS Television Network in January 2017. The premiere episode and all subsequent episodes will then be available in the United States exclusively on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.

As previously announced, the new STAR TREK marks the first original series developed for U.S. distribution on CBS All Access, which provides viewers thousands of episodes of CBS’s current and past seasons on demand, plus the ability to stream their local CBS Television station live for $5.99 per month.

Alex Kurtzman and Bryan Fuller are co-creators and executive producers for the new STAR TREK, based on Gene Roddenberry’s original series. Fuller launched his career writing for “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Voyager.” Kurtzman is co-writer and producer of the blockbuster films “Star Trek” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”

The series is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout, Fuller’s Living Dead Guy Productions, and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Bryan Fuller, Heather Kadin, Gretchen Berg & Aaron Harberts, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth will serve as executive producers.

For our friends in the great white north, CBS has partnered with Bell Media

The Bell Media rollout for the new Star Trek series in Canada will mirror the launch in the United States. The first episode will premiere on Canada’s most-watched broadcast network, CTV, on the same night as CBS. All remaining episodes will initially be televised on Bell Media’s cable networks, Space (in English) and Z (in French), and then later exclusively on CraveTV, Bell Media’s streaming video-on-demand service. The Star Trek television library will return to Space (in English) and debut on Cinépop (in French), and will also be found among CraveTV’s leading lineup of premium television series.
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So the announcement says not on netflix in Canada/US, but then just says on CBS all access in US. So how are we Canadians going to be watching it? Hopefully not on one of the horrid Big-3 owned streaming networks.

On Space. So in Canada, it will be aired on TV!
And then after it airs, you can watch it on CraveTV, which is a streaming service from bell. Which i don’t have. But I pay for cable and have space. So I get it :)


Yea they added the details later on. I pay for Netflix, but have no TV service, so for me it will be VPN’ing to Europe or something to get it on Netflix there.
I do get CTV with an antenna, so I can watch the premiere anyway.

There’s no way I’m going to go pay upwards of $50/month (cable TV package) just to get Star Trek.

My Two Cents

Netflix, like HULU, now detects and rejects VPNs


I imagine so because what would stop all the American Netflix customers just watching Trek on Netflix in Europe or something. I’m surprised they let it go as long as they did although thats how I saw the last season of Breaking Bad lol.


Really? So CBS is basically making the show easily available in Canada but NOT in the US? I don’t know if CBS is just stupid or being jerks.


OK. Explained in the new post or the Canadian explanation. Never mind the above statement.

The Chadwick

The premiere episode will air on CTV (possibly Space) with all subsequent episodes airing on Space. So you can watch it on cable here in Canada.

There is nothing wrong with Netflix, Shomi or CraveTV. I pay a total of $26 for all three, watch what I want when I want. Way cheaper than what I was paying for cable, plus I don’t have dozens of useless sports channels. Could not be happier I cut cable. Can’t understand the dislike towards streaming services.

Trek in a Cafe

If this is the deal, All Access Season 1 should be on Netflix when Season 2 begins?

It looks like if you are outside of canada or the us, each episode will be up within 24 hours.
But within the us or canada, i don’t see where it says that it will come to netflix. I think you will just need all acces (USA) or CraveTV in canada (after it airs each episode on Space first)


One would hope the discs would be available….. Sort of like Game of Thrones comes out on disc (and is available on Netflix) when the next season begins. Yes, it means I am a year late and have to avoid spoilers but better than paying extra for HBO.


@Trekmovie staff, there is more info from the official Star Trek website regarding Canadian viewers

International Broadcasters Set for New Star Trek Series



Looks like I will be pirating it anyway. Thanks CBS!


I would have gladly bought the show on All Access or *continue* to pay for my existing Netflix….

Likely would have bought CraveTv if the show aired currently on it, not AFTER network release. They think I’m gonna waste money on useless tv package.

To quote a famous engineer, Bell, stick it up your shaft.

The great internet continuum will provide

So Netflix for eveywhere around the world except U.S. and Canada. In the United States exclusively on CBS All Access.
Where in Canada ???


It will air on the Space chanel in Canada. And then CraveTV streaming after its initial run on space.
Canada got the BEST deal in the world. Its actually airing on TV, but no where else.
Space is already the canadian home for shows like Doctor Who and a lot of the American SyFy shows.


So, I have Netflix. I’ll just have to wait 24hrs after the broadcast on All Access to see it on Netflix. Right?


it depends on where you live.


That’s exactly right.

Capt JW Amick

Not if you live in the US or Canada.


Right. Skipped the part in parenthesis.


Thank God.
I love binge watching old TV series on DVD but not waiting for series to be released on DVD.


Well that’s good news for us Dutch people with an netflix subscription. Can’t wait to see the new series.


Finally no more VPN use in Holland to watch Star Trek on Netflix… goed bezig!!


On the one hand, COOL, hyped that the entire world will now get to enjoy my obsession. On the other hand, sounds kinda counterproductive to CBS’s goals — after all, if they wanted to make All Access THE stop for Trek, I feel like they should’ve just done that and made their platform available in other countries, instead of lending it to Netflix. Now the people in North America will be saying like whoa hold on, how come I now have to pay separately for my Trek but everyone else gets it with Netflix?

You forget the fact that All Access at this point is a gamble. By bringing Netflix in for overseas, they share the risk with them (you can bet this cost Netflix a lot of money), and can do their little experiment in the US trying to launch their own streaming service. If they tried to embrace the world with All Access, the bill would be all on them, and the risk would be a lot bigger. The way things turned out, it’s a complete victory. Because if, in 3 years, CBS decides All Access is a stupid idea, they can sell the rights to Netflix in US very easily, and not sacrifice Star Trek in the altar of bad ideas, as Paramount did with the whole UPN affair.


Brilliant reasoning my dear


I think CBS is underestimating the main appeal of Netflix and Hulu which for me is having everything mostly in one place. I would much rather have CBS on Hulu (or Netflix) even if it cost an extra fee such as the “Premium Add-ons” for Showtime rather than have a separate app and subscription for CBS All Access.

So this news irritates me more than normal because now we know they aren’t opposed to using Netflix for their content, and with only a 24 hour delay at that.


The problem is its easier said than done to bring CBS All Access to all countries because they have licensed all their shows differently to various countries. Some countries have shows where they exclusively run it or already on other international streaming sites, syndication deals and so on. Thats the problem, its a nightmare trying to get that platform every where when most of those shows are already in the public domain. Thats why Netflix library is naturally different everywhere you go. And its early my guess is they want to see if they can build the platform in America first where they have the most control and if its successful start rolling it out to other parts of the world. Thats what all of these sites did as well. But Star Trek is a big brand so they want to find a way everyone could see it.

I thought they said it will be on TV internationally originally and yes while you still have to pay this is a good deal because the show could get cancelled on TV while its a sure thing it will run on Netflix no matter what (or as long as CBS keeps making it). I use to live in Australia where a lot of stuff would get cancelled after 3 weeks there easily and it was frustrating which mean I would just download it online.


Good to see that the TV catalogue will remain at Netflix.


Interesting. Isnt this an about-face for CBS with Netflix? I assume Netflix demanded the catalogue back in return for willingness to part with considerable money to bring the new series to the rest of the world.

Shame about Canada as it sounds like after season 1, we will have to subscribe to ANOTHER streaming service to get the series. If it remains on a terrestrial BELL channel like CTV or SPACE, then so be it. Or Netflix for that matter. But this “exclusive” on streaming services is annoying.


Its a bit weird CBS is actually confirming you will be able to watch all Trek on Netflix for eternity basically when I THOUGHT the point was to eventually shut down the TV rights to places like Netflix and Amazon and All Access will be the exclusive home of TV Trek. I mean sure the new show will be a huge grab but the argument was the money you are paying also include access to all Trek all the time and ONLY here. Now it will give people another argument and say why pay for All Access when they can still watch Trek on Netflix that they already have?

But my guess is Netflix threw all kinds of money at them to keep Trek right where it is now have the new series on as well, at least abroad, which is a major get. I mean it tells you just HOW much Netflix values Star Trek because its the first show that will get aired immediately after an episode has aired. Its never done that before with any other series.

But this is ultimately great news in so many ways because while it just conjecture on my part I have a feeling if ALL Access fails and doesnt bring in the subscribers as hoped then more than likely Netflix probably has a back door option to continue the show on its channel. CBS IS taking a huge risk here and its a risk that could pay off but so far getting lots of push back. But I have a feeling if the show itself is popular and well liked but not popular enough to get enough people to subscribe then it probably will air on Netflix at some point. After all it was sites like Netflix and Amazon begging CBS to let them develop a new show that gave them the idea to create their own streaming site with it.


I live in the US and there is no way that I’m paying for this CBS service on top of my existing cable and Netflix. If people don’t speak with their wallets this will become the norm for all shows.

Tay Dervis

Exactly, I already have HBO Go and Netflix…. there is no way I am paying for another service just for one show. Star Trek has been raped too often by executive decisions, my wallet won’t be the next victim no matter how much I want to watch.

Like most people, I will likely procure the show through an alternative method. #apirateslife4me

I can’t believe folks like you won’t pony up six bucks a month for a new Star Trek tv series. I know plenty of people paying more than that to watch a specific series on Netflix or Hulu. Plus for your six bucks you get all of the Star Trek tv series and movies on demand and a bazillion CBS shows from the last sixty years or so.


People who play the “it’s only six bucks” card are not seeing the bigger picture. It’s not just $6. Soon there will be another streaming service that has ONE property you want to see. Hey, that’s just another $6. Then another and another…. It will start to add up. Plus, I already have TOS on BD. If I want to watch any of the spin off series they are on Netflix already. There is also literally NOTHING in the CBS library that is worth 6 cents let alone $6.

Besides… I predict that within 20 years streaming will become like cable today. Comcast or someone will round up all the streaming services and you can get them all through them for a lower or bundled price.


Yes. Here too. I already pay for cable and Netflix. That is as far as I will allow my home TV entertainment to go. I will not pay for an unreliable streaming service for just ONE show WITH commercials. No way, CBS. No effing way.


Well, that just sealed the deal for me, here in the US. Pirating it is! Thanks for the greed, CBS. You’re not getting a dime out of me.


Really? For $6.00?
Don’t know if you’ve been to Starbucks lately, but it’s $6.00 to “rent” a Costa Lotta Latte these days.
People in Canada are being shafted by Bell. (Again)
If you don’t have cable or satellite TV, you’ll need a VPN service and then $6.00 for CBS all access.
That will be my solution to watch the new series.
I already have a VPN service so, I’ll give up my latte once a week to watch Star Trek.


Why bother with a pain in the ass workout around like that just to give them your money anyway? Torrenting will be a lot easier (and cheaper) than a VPN.


It is amazing about all the moaning people have over paying $6 a month which they can cancel at any time. I mean most of these people will probably be paying to watch Beyond in IMAX 3D. Hell the tub of popcorn will probably be more expensive than a month subscription to All Access.

I get peoples point about it, but its just so much hyperbole over it. Its $6. I pay more than that every day for lunch. And yes if its good I would happily pay double for it. Again I get people point its just for CBS to make more money off of people but they are not locking you for 2 years like its cable. Pay $8 watch a few of the shows, you dont like it, just cancel it. Its not a big deal. And in fact what I decided to do is watch the pilot first on CBS and if I like it, then I will pay for the first month. If for some reason I dont then I will simply wait for it to all air and then pay for it to just watch all the back episodes. These sites gives you a lot of flexibility you dont get on cable. I just signed up for Netflix again JUST to watch all the Star Trek episodes again because I’m pumped for Beyond. I cancelled it months ago and I will probably cancel it again after a month. Thats the kind of flexibility I love and All Access will have.


I refuse to watch 3D and IMAX (or more appropriately, LIE-max) as they are a waste of money. 3D looks neat for 3 minutes then you generally don’t even notice the 3D anymore. Precious few IMAX screens are of sufficient size to justify the name. Most aren’t even as big as the big screen movie house (that sadly recently closed) in my home town. Those screens are so very small that the last time I went to one I had to go back out and ask the theater people if that really was the IMAX screen! It was so small!
But, again, it’s not the $6 for the service. It’s that this could very well be the first of a bunch of $6 services that start to really add up. Not only that, but streaming is STILL a very iffy technology. It has a tendency to freeze and buffer. And the sound and picture quality is just not as good as disc, let alone what I can get through my cable provider. Also on cable I can record to my DVR and skip the commercials. Not possible on streaming. So no, streaming is not a good option at all. Not when we are used to a much higher quality with far greater flexibility. It’s a step backwards.


Of course, I get all of that, but this is sadly becoming the reality because yeah network TV is slowly dying. Dude you JUST said it, you now have a device that can skip commercials. Well guess what, what do you think makes money for these networks that keeps these shows on in the first place? The commercials. THATS the problem, less people are even watching TV today because yeah people now just watch it online and most can just skip commercials today., especially if you’re young. I have a niece who is 19 in college, she doesnt even own a TV. She doesn’t see the point because she just watches everything on her phone or tablet. And even though they run commercials on legitimate sites like Hulu and network sites but even then they only make a fraction of what they make on TV.

Network sees the writing on the wall. Why do people think there are so many deals being made between networks and streaming sites like Amazon, Netflix, etc in the first place? Because its now another revenue stream thats needed. Many shows only got another season because of those deals because their low ratings wouldnt have justified it, especially cable shows. Hulu is a paid site with NBC and FOX. Yes it started out completely free but now its a paid option. I DO see more of these sites coming as it goes on because network TV is simply not the big draw it use to be. Cable has eaten more and more into their viewing, DVR has made it easier for people to skip commercials altogether and now online viewing is slowly becoming the dominant viewing habits of younger people who are obviously the future of TV. Sure at the moment people still watch TV traditionally but imagine another 10-20 years especially when the streaming technology is perfected. I agree its still not amazing today but neither was the internet in general when it first started. Remember dial up? Now internet is instantaneous everywhere while its faster and cheaper than ever.

CBS is simply a business trying to forge ahead of where they see the future heading. I can’t remotely blame them for that. People are so upset about it its kind of funny. Everyone keeps saying “just put it on Netflix” when the point is they want to become their own Netflix and I can’t blame them for that at all. Now no one has to like it, I get that. I dont love it myself, but yes this is simply where the industry is headed. Cable networks like HBO and Showtime also know this. They now have streaming sites where you are paying $15 a month if you want to stream those sites no one is yelling at them about it. But yes because I know you get them free if you already subscribe but yeah you are PAYING for those networks already. And one day even they will probably be a separate revenue option between their network and streaming sites. CBS may fall on its butt for doing it but can’t blame them for trying.

As for IMAX, I live in L.A. There are several full size IMAX theaters here and Orange Country I go to. Not often but will be going for Beyond. The one I chose will cost me $23 which I dont mind if the experience is good enough. In fact the first time I saw a movie on IMAX was First Contact believe it or not 20 years ago. So I have no problem paying $6 a month to get a full Trek show IF its good. If it isn’t then I wont be paying and thats the other gamble CBS knows its taking and will probably be throwing everything at this show to be good to get people to keep paying so I’m sure they want to impress people in a big way. We’ll see.

Again I don’t disagree with any one who hates the fact more pay walls are being put up for these shows but it is simply a reality that will happen more because traditional live TV watching is going the way of bookstores and DVD rentals has went in the advent of the internet. And the reason why movies/theaters have more and more IMAX 3D options because they have to find some gimmick to get people to come to a theater instead of just waiting for it to show up 3 months later on the internet/DVD/On demand/Netflix and watch it at a fraction of the price. All these consumer options today are great for us but they are a tail spin in the industries they come from.



I understand the position the studios are in. I really do. I understand why they are using gimmicks such as 3D and Lie-Max. I am just personally annoyed that CBS is using a property I personally enjoy and want to see for their (what I believe will be) failed experiment. Because they will undoubtedly blame Trek for the failure and not the method they use to deliver it.
Yes, I use the DVR. But I used the old VCR back in the day too. Studios had the same fear then they have now but the numbers are showing those fears have never really materialized. Fewer than you would think are actually time shifting. Not many did it with VCR’s and not many are doing it with DVR’s. I mean, the fact that there is so much content on line WITH commercials shows most people still do not seem to have an aversion to commercials. I don’t know what your ISP is but if your internet is cheaper than ever then I want to use them. Internet fees have done nothing but skyrocket.
No one blames HBO (et al) for their fee because they are a pay service to begin with. The streaming fee is only payable if you aren’t paying for it already to get access to their on line content. If you pay for HBO already streaming content is part of what you pay for. You are comparing apples and oranges. People are complaining about CBS All Access because most see what is coming. Multiple charges for multiple providers. The only saving grace is in the future I see someone like Comcast or COX and other cable providers expanding their reach to be an internet provider. Where you subscribe a one monthly fee and they feed you all the streaming services they get rights to. Essentially cable but over the internet. Everything old is new again. But that is down the road. Until then, we are going to be asked to shell out $5 here and $6 there. It’s maddening.
I do not know what IMAX you go to, but I can tell you this… When your standard mall type theaters started adding IMAX screens, they have ALL been much smaller versions of IMAX due to limited space. There are multiple movieplexes in the Bay Area that have Lie-Max but none are of the size most folks think of when they think of IMAX. There are only two that are close to the proper IMAX size. One was built with the entire movie and shopping complex so it was planned to be huge from the beginning. The other is a stand alone movie theater that had room to expand. If you have lots of proper sized IMAX screens in your area, you are fortunate. Most are not.
To be honest, I do not have a huge problem with $6 charge. I have a problem with the streaming. The tech just isn’t good enough to warrant paying anything for streaming IMHO. All I want from CBS is to have the series available on Disc that I can rent. Preferable from Netflix as I already have an account but if I have to use a different rental outlet for Trek I will.


Look I’m not really disagreeing with you. I’m only saying is CBS is not simply doing this to be greedy evil corporate ghouls, they simply realize the reality there will be more and more Netflixs in the future and want to capitalize on it. It would be one thing if network programs was still bringing in the audience it did just 10 years ago but it simply isnt. Look at the ratings today. 20 Years ago, a show was considered a ‘hit’ if 20 million people watched. 10 years ago it was a hit if about 12 million people watched. Today that figure is now down to around 9 million. ABC ‘top’ shows today are all under 10 million viewers currently. They are bleeding viewers like never before. This is live viewers I’m talking about. Sure you can simply say they don’t have great shows but its clearly something else thats going on. NBC is now constantly pushing its app to get people to watch their shows and relies more and more on Hulu. Oddly CBS is probably the most watched network thanks to their line up like NCIS, Criminal Minds, etc. But they also know they skew older than the other networks and why they invested in networks like the CW in the first place and trying to bring in more cooler, younger shows like Supergirl last season but it was too expensive for them for the ratings they were getting so now its shipped to CW. And whats funny about CW is it has exactly the demographics networks want, young college age boys mostly but they are watching less and less TV and just watch the shows online. TIme shifting IS having an effect. Maybe not as big as its being described but you are over looking the fact technology is only getting better. WHen VCRs were around the technology never improved. You still could only record about 8 hours on a tape that would wear out by its 30th viewing. Today we live in a digital society. Network TV has to compete against things like the Dish Hopper that can record 2000 hours of shows, skip commercials and has on demand viewing. The problem is the networks make money from antiquated model by advertisers paying them if they watch TV live. And based on the even more antiquated Nielson viewing even though they now have technology that can tabulate what people are watching directly. And the OTHER reason why streaming is better from a data POV. Netflix doesnt rely on these models to know who is watching their shows. They know exactly who is watching what, how long, etc. As for HBO, yes I SAID it is different because you are already a paying customer. But what I think you’re missing is the fact HBO now has a streaming site you can buy into WITHOUT having HBO. Its HBO Now that is basically HBO Go, only you pay $15 a month for it, bypassing cable entirely now. And believe me in time the others will follow which will put into question the cable industry in general when more and more of these networks are pushing their own pay stream channels. Again I agree with you, I dont think the technology itself is still that great. But many people put up with it because how else are you going to watch that episode of Breaking Bad on the way to work riding a bus or a train? Thats the issue, And you dont have to wait for a particular film to air at a certain time on cable, its when you want it whenever you want it so people are willing to put up with buffering if they can get it at that moment. People have access like never before in ways, oddly enough, was only shown on Star Trek back in the 60s. And it has easily surpassed how we get content today that show was predicting hundreds of years in the future. And lastly I get your point about IMAX, but lets face it people still go regardless. And I know exactly on of the IMAX theaters you’re talking about in San Francisco. The Metreon AMC on 4th street in downtown right? I use to live in San Francisco and go to their IMAX all the time because yes its a full size one. In fact I saw Interstellar there when I was visiting. Its an amazing theater. I dont know the other one you’re talking about though but you at least have real IMAX theaters regardless. In L.A. and O.C. we have about 6 of them. I dont go to them that often only when its an event film like Star Trek is for me. I’m going to see it at the Chinese Theater in… Read more »


I do understand what you are getting at. I know exactly why CBS is doing what they are doing. Just like I understood why the DIVX people did what they did. It was a terrible idea, but I understood why they tried it. That is why I am annoyed at CBS for doing this to Trek. I promise you, when this crashes and burns they will blame their Trek property for the failure and not their beloved CBSAA. Regarding time shifting, it most certainly is NOT having the effect that networks thought it would. They have always feared it but those fears never materialized. Not even close to the total they thought would do it. Sure, it happens. But a much smaller percentage of viewers than you think time shift. I was floored when I discovered this but it is true. Again, most internet streaming comes with commercials and that doesn’t seem to have slowed down the kids from streaming and watching their shows on their teeny tiny screens. I am aware of the concept of streaming HBO Go. It’s not surprising to me at all. They are just making themselves available to those who do not have cable and still want HBO. I wouldn’t pay for HBO as I feel their fee is outrageous but many do not feel that way. Good for them. I still catch a couple of HBO shows a year after they air thanks to Netflix, I can live with that. And I promise you, HBO makes money off those rentals. Just like CBS could with Trek. I get that many younger folks are watching TV on their phones. I really do. Myself, I HATE watching shows on my phone or even laptop. I want to watch on my big TV on my comfy couch with my great sound system. But then, I am out of the desired demographic nowdays. Which I fully get. I’m not saying they SHOULDN’T go the streaming route. But at this point, I don’t think it proper they go the streaming route EXCLUSIVELY. That is their mistake, IMHO. Netflix works because they already had a huge subscriber base when they started their original content. Tons of people already were on board. CBS is doing it when they have nobody and many who would go on board are committed to one or two streaming services already. It seems like quite the ask to have those people add yet another. Yes, one of the proper IMAX screens is at the Metreon. The other is at the Hacienda Crossings in Plesanton in the East Bay. I went there once. For Trek 09. Nice but both are a bit of a drive and the Metreon is only really workable if we are spending time in the City already. Way too much of a hassle to go for just a movie. Like I said… It’s not the fee that is really bothering me. Yes, I’ll complain about it but if they used a different and more reliable delivery method that was of a higher quality I would shell out a small sum for new Trek. All I want from CBS is to make the show available through some means besides streaming. If they wanted to do it all then they can mail me the BD’s of the show for the same fee. And I would pay. Or they could make the discs available to some other rental agency like Netflix. Or if they want to use another I will create an account with them to get the discs. But I will NOT pay for streaming. The quality is crap. Somehow the business behind this has gotten people to think that low quality is an acceptable trade off for portability. Maybe I’m out of touch but for me, portability is less important than the viewing experience. Maybe it’s because the smaller the screen the less noticeable the low quality gets. When the streaming tech gets good… And I can get everything I can get from cable for the same or lower price… Then and only then will I go that route. I’m sure that will happen one day. As of right now, that is not possible. To repeat… It’s not the fee that annoys me so much as it is the exclusivity of Trek to CBSAA. I just want it available though better and more reliable means. And yes, I will pay if I must for it. I just won’t pay for crap quality and unreliability.


I don’t pay $6 for cruddy Starbucks coffee either.


Wow. Too cheap to let go of 6 bucks a month??? Can’t get a good hamburger for that. Sad.


I live in the UK and all of the Trek tv shows FINALLY became available on netflix (which I have) three weeks ago.
I’m delighted as you can imagine.
But wait-you’re saying i’ll be able to watch Star Trek 2017 via the netflix platform as well???
I think Christmas just came early…
…except for all American Trek fans.
You’re right. You’re absolutely being shafted here.


Nah its just too much silly hyperbole over it. Oh dear god, they have to pay a whopping $18 to watch 13 episodes of Trek? I blame the government of course.

And you don’t have to pay that. You can just wait for the 13 episodes to air and just pay the $6 for a month and cancel. People act like CBS has locked them in to pay $15 a month for 2 years over it. My god I doubt most people on this site could barely remember what they spent their last $6 on. Its not the end of the world people, stop acting like it.


Again… Not seeing the forest for the trees here.


I see the forest just fine and its dying. Thats the point. And yes it is a lot of silly hyperbole over it. The fact that everyone seems to have no problem paying for Netflix says it all because people think Netflix is a good service with great value. Well thats the point, others want to become the next Netflix. Amazon is essentially the closes to that model but still lacks a bit in terms of options (although have all the Trek shows as well). They recently just made their service a pay by month service instead of a full year they were doing because they see how much people value that service of paying month to month. CBS is doing the same thing. If you dont like it, you can cancel whenever you want. I have no real interest of All Access, but I understand why they are doing it. I will gladly give it a chance if I get a good show out of it. If not I’ll simply cancel it. These really are first world problems in the worst way.


I don’t think that people have problems paying for one rental/streaming provider. But when you start asking people to pay for 3, 4 or more providers it becomes an issue. And those complaining about having to add CBSAA I think are the ones concerned about that. (Netflix has all the Trek Series. I re-watched DS9 some time ago and am currently re-watching Voyager) I understand why CBS is doing it. But it is a flawed concept. Just like DIVX was. Sometimes big companies cannot see bad ideas until they are implemented and fail. And again, my problem is more the streaming side of things than anything else. I do not want to be limited to cruddy streaming technology to see this.

PS… This whole site is a first world thing. Not sure what your point is….


Dude thats exactly how cable started by doing EXACTLY that. You’re now paying $100+ to basically watch mostly old shows and movies. Its changing now that cable has invested in their own original content but 15 years ago cable was basically just stuff you watched for free on networks and the odd new films. To get the ‘premium’ stuff like HBO you were just paying to watch full cinema movies commercial free you already saw in the theater and later DVDs before it ever got to HBO. Cable providers has already got us to pay for stuff we already watched for free long ago. Yes its different TODAY but cable starting out was mostly reruns of everything, not counting stuff like CNN and Discovery Channel that invested in documentaries.

Now we are moving on to the next arena of content, the internet. Thats what people are NOT getting. Its competing with TV and cable today, but the point is in another 15 or 20 years THAT will most likely be the dominant form of watching or thats the thinking. You said I’m not seeing the forest before the trees and you couldnt be more wrong on that. All Access is just the Netscape of today basically. The point is they are trying to become the Google of tomorrow eventually. Obviously people are going to be hesitant about ti now, as people always are. In another 10-20 years when its just a new normal like cable is today no one will blink. People were VERY hesitant of cable 30 years ago. The same arguments people are making now oddly enough was said about cable. “Wait…they want me to PAY for TV???? Um, I already get free shows, why should I pay for it just because there are more channels? I like my 3 networks fine.” This was the argument back in the late 70s just before VCRs became of age. And now look at where we are today? Do you know anyone who DOESNT have cable of some sort today?

And thats what they are betting on with streaming down the road since its here now. People have been using it just under a decade. Imagine in 30 years? Netflix is already proving that as everyone has at least tried it out for a month and now most familes has it. But at $8 a month and thousands of hours of content and you’re not locked in like cable can you blame them?


No, that is not how cable got started. Cable got started by providing a piped in picture to people who were out of range of local TV. It evolved into cable only stations, and the rest is history. I sure don’t watch old shows and movies on cable. I’d say 99.99% of what I see on cable is original, new content. The same was true 15-20 years ago. Quite frankly, before I had cable was pretty much when I was watching old shows and movies on TV. And before the cable only stations and networks cable allowed me to get over the air stations beyond just the 3 my antenna could pull in. Later with the advent of the VCR and then DVR I am no longer beholden to air times. I can watch whenever I like. So no, sir. You are way off base regarding the origin of cable.
The thing is, back in the late 70’s (when cable really started booming) you paid so you could get QUALITY pictures. This is not the case regarding streaming yet. Don’t get me wrong. I know it’s coming. But it’s not here yet. When cable arrived, the picture was just as good as you could get with a strong steady TV signal.
You are most certainly not seeing the forest for the trees if you make the $6 claim. Netflix worked because they they had a subscriber base when they started their original content. Amazon even worked (to a lesser extent) because they tied their service to their already successful on line store. Hulu worked (to an even lesser extent) because they lured people in for free with content from other providers and MUCH LATER added the pay service. CBS is trying to enter the fray with NOTHING. No subscriber base. Not tied to anything people were using already. Nothing. Their hope is that Trek fans are so devoted they will watch trek on a crappy and unreliable platform and pay for the privilege.
I fail to understand… How is ANYONE “locked” into cable? That makes no sense. As good as Netflix is (and I do like it and find it just barely worth their $10/month fee) it still doesn’t hold a candle to what cable provides me. And this is a golden age of television. There is a TON of good stuff out there. Nearly all of it is found on cable months, if not a full year before it is available Netflix. Netflix is really best at viewing movies I opted to not see in the theater. That and “House of Cards”.

My Two Cents

I’m in Canada and it seems I’ll be able to get to see it on the Space Channel…full of commercials! would much rather watch it on Netflix! I’ll not be paying for another streaming service, regardless of what CBS decides, long term.


Glad to hear that we in the UK are getting this via ‘Netflix’. Good news indeed, especially since it seems the episodes will be available so soon after their initial airing in the USA.


Goddamn POS Bell has to monopolize new Trek in Canada. Goddamn it why couldn’t we just get it on Netflix like the rest of the world?!

Hell with ya, Bell, I’m taking the show for free.


What an event… a World wide reach for our beloved stories. Such a smart move from CBS.


Cool, I love hunk this move will guarantee the success of the show regardless of how many fans watch it legally in the USA.


Which is why I believe in my Netflix theory that if the show fails to bring the subscriptions All Access wants for it then they will most likely continue it on Netflix anyway. Netflix want Star Trek bad its obvious just how much they want it to strike this deal.

James Cude

CBS is 100% tone deaf with this “All Access” nonsense. They should simply license it to Netflix for *all* territories and light up a cigar.

Boners and Beer

Like others I’ll just pirate it. Unless this show turns out to be something better then sliced bread and jailbait then I won’t spend a wooden nickel on this show. Won’t they make enough $$ on commercials?

The Chadwick

What I am curious about (unless I read it wrong) world wide (excluding Canada, US) after an episode airs on CBS it will be on Netflix within 24 hours. In Canada it will be shown on the Space cable channel, will it show up on CraveTV streaming service within 24 hours, or do we streaming people have to wait for the season to be over before it is on CraveTV?

Carlos Teran

This is such a great news for us here in Mexico. Netflix removed TOS (the only series available with them here) and most of the movies last year (Nemesis, Star Trek and Into Darkness are still available) . Another streaming company – Clarovideo – has TNG in HD, but none of the movies (those are available as PPV). So having the previous series and the new one, is just amazing.


Sadly American Netflix just removed all the Trek films minus First Contact for some reason. I honestly have no idea how things like that work. “Now we’re going to take them all away, but we’ll keep FC because my kids love it too much.” I dont get it. But anyway knowing that this deal has been struck for all the shows to stay there including airing the new show I do wonder if they will strike a deal to air all the movies in time as well.

And honestly with this news I’m a happy camper being also a big Star Wars and Marvel fan too. And with Disney strikiing a deal with them that will bring ALL their movies to that site that means I will get all the Marvel films and shows, Star Wars, Pixar and Star Trek all in one place. Who needs to buy DVDs again lol. Thats pretty crazy all the content Netflix will have between those two companies.


Its nice when these companies realise Netflix is already in so many homes and if people have to choose between streaming platforms, Netflix is going to win most of those battles. Make deals with Netflix. They have the resources and international delivery methods already. Why invest all that money yourself when Netflix will write you a cheque and by doing so, increase value in the properties you own?

Makes sense.


Exactly. Netflix has become the go-to site for content streaming today. There are many others and they are successful but not to the level of Netflix.

THAT said though, it was reported yesterday Netflix share prices dropped and they are down 13% in new subscriptions from a year ago so that is the one problem with a service like this. Because of its transient nature and people can cancel whenever they feel like it or watched enough of the site to feel satisfy and leave they constantly have to figure out ways to keep people subscribing all year and they still have competition. I think deals with Disney is their way of trying to curb that. They began that process when they started making their own shows and films which was a great move, especially because they make quality shows. But the downfall with Netflix is you don’t know what you’re getting month by month outside of their exclusive content. A movie might show up there, it might not. Same with shows. Its all still kind of a dice game. The move with Disney is to let people know they are GUARANTEED certain content to show up and not this constant hoping and waiting if a so and so movie or show will eventually make it there.

Thats what sites like this need, a consistent brand they know will be arriving every month to keep people coming back. Amazon was smart to make that deal with CBS because now people know they will see these shows on that site if they own Amazon although it will be interesting how that changes now that CBS is pushing their own site in time.


You have just experienced the biggest problem with streaming services. The customer is at the mercy of lawyers. The providers can, and do, take stuff down for tons of reasons. Mostly legal ones few ever understand. If you rely on streaming for something you really love, you are bound to be eventually disappointed. For those things it is just best you buy the disc. Then you have the content no matter what. And at a far superior quality as well.
I find it amazing that in this day and age people do not realize the transient nature of streaming content. If they don’t by now it’s their own fault.


I agree completely on that, which IS the problem with these services. But also oddly enough why CBS ALL Access is being done in the first place. You just said it, because these streaming sites are licensing these shows and films like cable networks usually do they come and go. CBS has stuff they OWN on their site so you never have to fear about losing that content. They own Star Trek so as long as the site is there it will be there for eternity. Thats the issue with the others who rent content instead of own, because its kind of a month by month thing for consumers and whats there this month could be gone the next and yeah it sucks.

BUT I also think that is slowly changing with these bigger deals happening. Look at the Disney deal for example, Netflix is getting EXCLUSIVE content rights that will last for probably a decade at a minimum. I can’t even imagine how much they forked out for that but as the industry shores up so will the deals. OR people like Disney will simply make their own site in time. In fact I’m shocked more studios like Disney hasn’t just gone ahead and create their own site to put all their content exclusively on but I guess they just don’t see a real need for it now. And lets also not forget Netflix is now creating its own shows and films because they realized that very problem years ago and now have their own award wining shows on people now subscribe to to simply watch those like House of Lies, Orange is the New Black, their Marvel shows, etc.

And sure plenty of customers see their favorite shows and films disappearing from sites like Netflix but because they have the option to CANCEL ANYTIME its not a big deal. You’re paying $8-9 a month to get a crazy amount of content. Think of how many shows people can binge watch in that time and cancel? Media content has never been cheaper thanks to the internet. I’m old enough to remember going to a video store and renting 2-3 films that you had the privilege of keeping for 2 or 3 days for the same price you now have thousands of hours of content at your fingertips you can access any moment of the day. And you’re not being locked in for a 2 year contract that only gets more expensive as you go and you have no choice BUT to pay it like cable.

There are pros and cons for everything but most people are probably happy to take what sites like Netflix and Amazon offers because they are still amazing deals at the end of the day for very little money.


The ability to cancel at anytime doesn’t change the annoyance at licensing deals changing. Just because Disney worked a deal with Netflix doesn’t mean it will still be there 4 years from now. Companies change deals all the time. As far at the cost is concerned… Sure, one or two or three streaming services cost less than cable. But you are still getting FAR less from them then you could possibly get from cable. This, too will change in the future but it is true now.
Eventually, the internet will become cable. I promise you. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, CBSAA, etc will become the new FX, CBS, AMC, etc. I’m sure by then even the local RSN will be on the internet. You will then turn to someone like Comcast where you pay on internet fee and they will provide you access to all the internet content providers. Just like they do with cable TV providers do today. That will happen when the tech becomes of good enough quality to do all the things that cable currently gives you. At that point it will not matter what licensing deals are done. Your one fee internet provider will be piping you all the content providers anyway.

Everything old is new again.


I’m ok with Space airing it in Canada but I’m worried they will edit the show to fit it in to a 1 hour slot. (It has been announced that runtime could be flexible since this will be a made-for-streaming show.) I rather Space put it into a 90 minute slot rather than butchering the episodes. Another possible downside (albeit not as bad) as they will stick in commercials abruptly in the middle of scenes since their likely will not be any “fade to black” scene enders where commercials would be normally inserted.


That shouldn’t be a problem. It is my understanding that the show will be streamed WITH commercials. Isn’t that nice of CBS? Make their subscribers PAY AND FORCE commercials down their throats.


Just wake me up when the Blu-ray comes out so I can watch it at 1080p.


I have this dream where I can afford a room with multiple HD TVs and play every Star Trek series at once on them: TOS, TNG, Enterprise, DS9, Voyager, TNG films, TOS films, Kelvin TImeline films and now the new series. Just play them all side by side in in a loop and geek out watching them all unfold at once. Thats a lot of freakin Star Trek.


That was the news I was hoping for when I saw the headline. That Netflix would get discs to dish out after the season run was complete. No such luck.


I’m glad they’re partnering with Netflix, but I don’t see the released 24 hours later that some are claiming (US). I’m not seeing any link to a press release, or that 24 hour clause in the text quoted here.

I also have a problem with All Access – but not the usual gripe I’ve been reading. While it’s annoying to have yet another separate service to pay for, the big problem is now I would be paying CBS directly for access to their content and they STILL have ads. I can understand the ads for the free content they post, I can understand it for live TV, I can slightly understand it for Hulu (though I would probably shell out for their no commercial plan), but not when I’m paying the content producer directly.


The big question is… Will it be available on BD through Netflix? That question was not answered.


The rest of the world has been using VPNs to get stuff out of your netflix library in US for years, sounds like you yanks who dont want to buy CBS All Access just need to VPN into UK or Australia or something


Guess you didn’t get the news, but Netflix has putting a stop to that for awhile now.


The big name VPNs have had their IPs blocked, yes, but not all VPNs are blocked


Oh ok gotcha! And I’m an American but lived in parts of Asia, Australia and Europe and yes VPN were a godsend in some of the places I lived. Never really used Netflix at the time but other media sites here and there. But I can’t imagine even the smaller VPN sites will stay active for too much longer as Netflix grows and these deals become more important. I think its mostly the media companies who are forcing pressure on Netflix than Netflix themselves. Sure maybe a little longer but sooner or later they will catch on and end it. But for now yeah I imagine some people will try it if they are still around in 6 months time.


FWIW in the US today CBS’ OTA DECADES channel is airing in its rotation the classic episode, TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY