Netflix to stream new Star Trek series exclusively in UK
David Farnor | On 18, Jul 2016
Netflix will be the exclusive UK TV home for CBS’ new Star Trek series in 2017.
Netflix and CBS Studios International today announced a landmark international licensing agreement for the rebooted show, with the VOD giant nabbing the rights to Star Trek in all countries except for the US and Canada.
In those countries, the new Star Trek will launch with a special premiere episode on the CBS Television Network in January 2017 and then be an exclusive for CBS’ own SVOD service, CBS All Access. This is the first original series developed for CBS All Access, which also provides viewers with thousands of episodes of CBS’s current and past seasons on demand, plus live-streaming of their local CBS station, for $5.99 per month.
The UK, though, will join 188 other countries around the world in having each episode of the new series available to stream on Netflix within 24 hours of their US premiere.
The all-new Star Trek will begin production in Toronto in September for its January 2017 premiere. The iconic and influential global franchise will return to television for the first time since 2005 with a new ship, new characters and new missions, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation.
Alex Kurtzman and Bryan Fuller are co-creators and executive producers for the new Star Trek, based on Gene Roddenberry’s original. Fuller launched his career writing for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. (Kurtzman is co-writer and producer of the recent 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.
“The launch of the new ‘Star Trek’ will truly be a global television event,” says 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.”
“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,” adds 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.”
The announcement follows a similar deal between CBS and Netflix, which has seen all 727 existing episodes of the TV franchise – including Star Trek: The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise – land exclusively on Netflix UK. They will all be available on Netflix around the world by the end of 2016.