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CBS making big bet on Star Trek's next frontier: Online streaming

A replica Starship Enterprise as seen at the Technorama "Star Trek Experience" event at the Las Vegas Hilton.
A replica Starship Enterprise as seen at the Technorama "Star Trek Experience" event at the Las Vegas Hilton.
(
Kreg Steppe/ Flickr
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Listen 12:18
CBS making big bet on Star Trek's next frontier: Online streaming

Streaming: The final media frontier.

These are the voyages of CBS Television Studios. Their continuing mission: to explore strange and innovative new ways of offering programming. To seek out the best and most profitable way to bring an old favorite back to life. To boldly go where no TV studio has gone before!

Okay, so maybe the last part isn’t true, but there are still plenty of reasons for Trekkies everywhere to rejoice. Television’s favorite sci-fi series is getting another makeover, but there’s a catch: it is only going to be available via online streaming.

CBS Television Studios yesterday announced another reboot of the famed franchise to broadcast in January 2017. A special preview of the series will broadcast on old-school TV, but the series premiere and all subsequent episodes will only be available on the network’s streaming digital subscription service, CBS All Access.

CBS is banking on Star Trek’s legendary fandom will pay $5 a month to watch the series online, but it’s almost certain that production costs of making this particular series -- which requires special effects -- will be more expensive.

Would CBS be able to recoup its costs? Is this a smart move for the network?

Guest:

Daniel Holloway, TV Editor at the entertainment and movie news site, The Wrap.​