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While not totally surprising, news has trickled out that Discovery‘s premiere episodes are getting pirated… a lot. Pirated enough to make the list of top 10 most illegally downloaded shows on Pirate Bay. This news comes only a couple days after the show’s premiere. My question: why?
The stupid easy answer is that people just want to watch the show. Perhaps they can’t afford CBS All Access. Perhaps they don’t have access to CBS where they could have watched the pilot for free. Let’s assume for a moment that most of the people downloading the show illegally or on a regular basis are Star Trek fans. Why else would you want to watch it? If this is the case, then these Star Trek fans who pirate the show are shooting themselves in the foot. Or purposefully setting the warp core to breach. Pick your metaphor.
Making a new Star Trek series was risky and still is. A lot of money and time was dedicated to a show that from its conception was walking on thin ice. CBS needs paying subscribers to continue making Discovery, as these episodes are available only on CBS All Access, and the show itself is expensive to make, something plainly evident by the show’s polished visuals and intricate set design. $6 a month is all you have to pay to watch Discovery, and at the same time, you are encouraging CBS to support the show. That’s the cost of a Starbucks coffee. (Hopefully, it’s a really good coffee).
The reception to Discovery thus far has been fantastic, with record-breaking CBSAA signups, excellent ratings, and positive critical reaction. You may say, “well, Game of Thrones is one of the most pirated shows ever and it continues to do extremely well, so what’s the big deal?” But Discovery is far removed from Game of Thrones, both in its popularity and place in popular culture. Even with millions of people pirating that show, it’s in no danger of going away. (Of course, this still isn’t a reason to pirate Game of Thrones, it just illustrates the difference between the two shows!)
The bottom line is this: if you are a fan, who like millions of others have been waiting for Star Trek to return to television, and you are illegally watching the show, you are hurting your cause. If you are one of the fans who perhaps teared up when you saw the Shenzhou descend through the clouds to the familiar three-note Star Trek theme, or got unreasonably excited when you saw the Starfleet insignia etched in the sand (Star Trek is back!), you owe it to yourself to support Discovery. Split the cost of All Access with a friend. Wait until the show finishes its first season run and then get All Access for a quick marathon. Cancel your Netflix subscription for a month and get CBSAA instead. Creep outside your neighbor’s window while they watch Discovery (okay maybe don’t do that). Find some way to placate your desire to watch the show without pirating. Discovery needs every subscriber it can get to truly send it to the stars.
What do you think of people pirating the show? Do you do it yourself? Why? Let us know in the comments.
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Alex Huffman
September 27, 2017 at 1:36 pm
I ponied up the morning of the premier. If they wait until 2019 to release the 2nd season, at least that will save me $120 in subscription fees. I don’t like it either and have downloaded content before, but the article is right this time, guys and gals.
Gareth Fairclough
September 29, 2017 at 9:27 am
So even if it’s utterly rubbish, you’d still pay?
That’s insane.
Alex Huffman
September 29, 2017 at 9:30 am
Absolutely not, but we don’t have to worry about that because the show is fantastic so far.
Elio Lleo
September 27, 2017 at 1:57 pm
We almost reported on this during the recording of this week’s episode of Priority One Podcast. I am of the opinion that the alarm is premature. There is usually an immediate rush of illegal downloads the instant something is “new” and “hot.” What should really start alarming the powers-that-be is if the show continually ranks high throughout the course of the season. At which point, they need to find a way to convert pirates into subscribers.
Addendum: I wholeheartedly agree that we should subscribe. Even if you only subscribe for the length of the 15 episodes you’re paying a minimum of $24 (max $40). Entertainment is also an artform. Actors, Technicians, Craftsmen, Costumers, etc… As fans of this franchise, we should a discouraging pirating.
I liked this Forbes article that helped put it into perspective: https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2017/09/26/why-cbs-is-right-to-make-audiences-pay-for-star-trek-discovery/#5f6f39964e94
Alex Trainor (AlexT Web Design
September 27, 2017 at 2:26 pm
I agree with most of what you said. Discouraging piracy is good and needs to be done but the studios create that environment for piracy. I can watch it legally on Netflix and get 100x more than what Cbs online is offering its viewers for 7 pound a month. Now how does that make you feel. The value I am getting compared to the value you are getting.
Actors artist pay all that I get totally but null argument. Come back to me when Cbs net income (after expenditure) is 1.3 billion for 2016 alone. They can afford to pay
ericphillips
September 27, 2017 at 6:13 pm
Someday CBS will have a service for Britain and Europe and break off their deal with Netflix. The thing is you are lucky because CBS does not have the infrastructure to put that paywall there. Give it time.
BTW: I pay $7 a month for BritBox to watch BBC/ITV shows you get free (well, except for that TV license thing you have there).
Askyerfather.com
October 4, 2017 at 5:52 am
We don’t get it free, we have to pay yearly for a tv licence which is basically paying up front instead of monthly. It breaks down to a similar amount monthly.
ericphillips
October 4, 2017 at 3:41 pm
But you are not paying anything extra, but a baseline than anyone has to pay. It is a requirement, so I call it free in that case. I did mention the TV license you guys have.How much quid is that a year?
Askyerfather.com
October 4, 2017 at 4:05 pm
Tv license is £147 which breaks down to £12.25 a month and that only entitles us bbc, itv and ch4 and ch5 (which nobody watches) so you’re actually getting a better deal as 7$ is half the price for much the same content and at least you have a choice as we HAVE to pay it, even though there’s not much on any of these channels anymore. All the good shows are on subscription like sky (very expensive), Netflix and Amazon.
ericphillips
October 4, 2017 at 5:24 pm
The difference in our argument is the perspective of free-market vs. a tax. You license is paying for the right to use a television regardless of how you use it, and the money is applied to programming.
Askyerfather.com
October 5, 2017 at 3:38 am
Yeah but it’s semantics. I am actually paying more for the same channels you are but I am forced to pay for it. You have a choice, if you don’t like it, you can unsubscribe or make a choice to subscribe based on what is offered. The BBC could just turn out a 24/7 gif of a toilet flushing and I’d still have to pay £12.25 a month for it.L
DataMeister1
September 27, 2017 at 5:18 pm
If I pay $24-40 for a single show, which is essentially what that is on CBS:AA, I expect to have a permanent copy that I can watch at anytime. But, I’m fine waiting for a permanent copy to be released too.
I agree with what I think was your main point, don’t steal a copy of it. People need to exercise some patience, instead of giving into their frivolous wants, and act like a responsible person.
Philip Eventide
November 12, 2017 at 6:18 am
Then maybe release it on Amazon fire.
Alex Trainor (AlexT Web Design
September 27, 2017 at 2:01 pm
Who wrote this dribble. The big studios with millions of pounds can’t seem to provide online content properly. For instance I have Netflix account and watched the new series multiple times. paid service and legal. But I also so called pirated zzz it also as I wanted to watch it as it was released in America. So how many ppl fall into that category. Is it wrong morally no so. I also own dvd and blu Ray of every star trek series made and movies. So am I considered a pirate. Morally not. Also what bout all the countries that don’t get 2 watch legally? So who’s shooting who in the foot.
In the UK Disney is moving star wars of Netflix platform and expect ppl to pay to yet another service.
That will happen when more and more and it will only happen with big shows that make money. Not as you suggested to support STAR TREK. If star trek wasn’t gonna be big earner it would not have been made the showcase of CBS access.
Where does it end many different providers all costing money and unified support across all devices. Some will work on your TV some will work on your mobile devices.
I hate when companies look to pirating figures and just make up stuff to justify there actions.
Correct me if I am wrong but I just easily blew your article to pieces without having to try.
If you are truly support8ng the franchise I get where you are going with the article, it’s right to support the stuff you love. But it’s flawed without evidence and you fell for the big corporations lies.
Alex Trainor (AlexT Web Design
September 27, 2017 at 2:15 pm
Could have wrote that more eloquently lol but hope you get the gist.
To add Orville. I can’t watch that show legally in the UK, so why is that? I am gonna guess that show will have a bigger pirate damage impact due to the laziness of the studio to provide the content. So again the studios are shooting themselves in the foot not the fans.
Paul Wand
September 27, 2017 at 4:04 pm
I agree with you for the most part. I am a long time trekie since captain Kirk, and I have seen all the movies. I have numerous criticisms of Discovery including mistakes like having technology that is too advanced for a time of pre-Kirk. My main bone of contention is that for any star trek series, we never had to pay for watch it on TV;going to the movie theatre is another story. So for me who refuses to pay I am welcome the pirated versions and think they should pirated for the benefit of all who cannot get and/or afford to pay….etc.
bluntedkid
September 28, 2017 at 12:18 am
Pirated or not… give Discovery a chance. You want to pass judgement mid-season fine, but a true Trek fan wouldn’t trash something before it even get’s started. Try and keep that in perspective. Mind you, this is Star Trek for the 21st Century fan. Maybe we are better off leaving these old fans behind, because obviously they cant think forward…
Paul Wand
September 28, 2017 at 11:10 pm
Each episode should stand on its own, like all other star trek tv shows.
ASolutionToAProblem
October 6, 2017 at 7:16 pm
Forward thinking is great, this show however, is not. And i have a huge trekkie and have been since the begining of time. This show does not deserve the star trek name. I would rather watch The Orville than this show.
Karl
September 28, 2017 at 7:07 pm
Of course you paid. 7ou paid in the form of your cable subscription, TV package, whatever.
Paul Wand
September 28, 2017 at 11:09 pm
yes but I did not pay an additional fee outside of the cable.
Sarah Goodwich
November 9, 2017 at 5:02 pm
You are SO RIGHT, droogie Alex! I get so sick of studios, artists, song-producers etc. bitching about “pirates” being the reason why they SUCK; while they refuse to SELL their wares for download, so that they can run a MONOPOLY and charge much more than their product is worth, like CD’s, DVD’s, Albums, “boxed sets” etc. that nobody wants– rather than selling them what they DO want, i.e. JUST THE FILE!
So they’d rather bitch about people NOT BUYING what they DON’T WANT, rather than SELL them what the DO want, with the benefit of it being top-quality, assured download, virus-free etc.
Seriously, I can either buy a boxed DVD set of a show I want to watch, so they can make money SELLING boxed sets, and then I have to take a DVD out of the box, open it, and put it in the player every time I want to watch it (or transfer it to a file on my hard drive); or I can just DOWNLOAD it, legally or illegally, and simply pull up the file on my TV from my hard-drive (or my smart-phone) anywhere on my network, whenever I want.
But then the studio says “NO, you will buy the DVD, and watch it the way WE SAY– and LIKE it!”
And of course the response is… “ARRRRR, MATEY! PREPARE TO BE BOARDED!”
So they forget the first rule of business: THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.
Arron Ratcliff
September 27, 2017 at 2:02 pm
The way i see it. Since i pay for my subscription i have the right to complain and voice my opinion about things i don’t like. Those that Pirate it need to go away and S.T.F.U they have no rights to complain about the show. CBS is smart about one thing even though i hate them for it. They didn’t upload all the episodes at once like Netflix does. If they had most people would have binged watched the show then canceled their subscription after a few days. I know thats what i would have done.I am willing to stick with Discovery up to it’s mid season break to give Discovery a chance to change my mind. If not i’ll cancel my subscription and just go back to watching my DVD collection when ever i have the urge to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Paul Wand
September 27, 2017 at 4:07 pm
Who are you to tell anyone to shut up (in a rude manner)? Have you heard about the first
amendment, aka freedom of speech? You admit you would have done something inappropriate if not downright cheating cbs, so you are not holier than the next syfy fan.
Arron Ratcliff
September 27, 2017 at 5:20 pm
Yep sure have and it gives me the right to be as rude as i want as long as i am not breaking any laws by inciting violence or a riot. And what i said was if CBS had uploaded the whole season i would have binged watched it in a few days and like others would have then canceled the subscription. Please show me in the CBSAA terms of service where it says canceling your subscription after you are done with it is against the rules? Canceling a service you have all ready paid for doesn’t cheat any one. Now shoo go away you pirate defender.
Paul Wand
September 28, 2017 at 11:11 pm
you can make your point without being rude like I do.
Philip Eventide
November 12, 2017 at 6:21 am
F.ck off. I paid my service and it doesn’t support my device. I am going to pirate it because I have no choice.
awatenor
September 27, 2017 at 2:04 pm
Here in Brazil we can have a ton of Trek stuff, including Discovery, all on Netflix, for a fair price. We really don’t need to pirate it. If someone is doing it, certainly are not the BrazTrekFans.
Alex Trainor (AlexT Web Design
September 27, 2017 at 2:28 pm
I agree same as UK for Startrek franchise
Meg
September 27, 2017 at 4:54 pm
Well you both got it rolled into your already worthwhile netflix subscription, it’s a shame people in the US are being gouged with this additional service. Anyway hello international trek fans 🙂
Sarah Goodwich
November 9, 2017 at 5:04 pm
That’s because the studios don’t OWN the national government like they do in the USA.
Paramount, Disney etc. keep increasing the copyright laws, to the point where Disney owns everything, FOREVER.
Tomy Skyblue
September 27, 2017 at 2:08 pm
In my opinion, pirates are doing Star Trek franchise a favour. I hope the show will get canceled before it does permanent damage to the spirit of Gene R. and Star Trek all together.
bluntedkid
September 28, 2017 at 12:15 am
We don’t even know the story or all the characters yet! This is why Star Trek dies because so called “hardcore, all my life” fans can’t think outside of their little box of what’s been offered and anything that deviates from what they are used to, is garbage. And well…that’s a bunch of bull. Give the show, give Star Trek a chance. Don’t be so close-minded – it’s television.
Tomy Skyblue
September 28, 2017 at 3:40 am
I don’t do ravioli and call it lasagna just so the people will eat it…
Amos Greig
September 27, 2017 at 3:07 pm
I don’t Pirate ever, but I also can’t afford to pay a monthly fee for a streaming service be it CBS All Access or Netflix I’ve medical bills and other expenses which win out over those needs. Slapping a paywall on Trek is a foolish move in my eyes as it will limit quite a few people. I do find it interesting though that people are complaining to this level about piracy seeing as it never affected GOT’s viewing figures and it worked well on traditional tv. Remember at the core of Trek is a Eutopia were money was more or less a thing of the past. We’re not there yet though. Maybe I’ll catch the series at some point on some service but for now that’s my journey with the tv series over.
Sarah Goodwich
November 9, 2017 at 5:13 pm
“I don’t Pirate ever,”
EW, does mommy’s good little boy want a COOKIE?
The fact is that they’re not selling it, so there’s no harm in watching what someone else is SHOWING for free.
Jospeh Boster
September 27, 2017 at 3:22 pm
IMO people are pirating this out of hate. They want it to fail. They don’t see Discovery as worth paying for. Because it says that it is one thing but looks like something else. It says it’s a TOS but at best looks like a ENT/JJverse sequel. I know I have seen enough in the previews to not want to watch it. But I won’t pirate it either. I just don’t care enough about the project to go that effort. People like to say you can’t criticize something you haven’t seen, so people are pirating it so that can be accurate in what they don’t like about the show. DISCOVERY strikes me more as a desperation move to get people to buy CBS All Access. The premise of the Show intersts me but the execution based on Episode 1 and the trailers leave me flatter than a TNG season 1 marathon.
bluntedkid
September 28, 2017 at 12:13 am
In my opinion, a true fan would not pass such judgement. Let the show tell its story, if you hate it much at the end then you can bitch about it. But seriously after 1 episode you’re an expert on what’s good for Star Trek? Please.
Sarah Goodwich
November 9, 2017 at 5:17 pm
“They don’t see Discovery as worth paying for.”
I leech it, but I don’t seed it. IMO, pirating is the best kind of advertising, since it’s “try before you buy;” and if it’s good, then I end up getting hooked. I purchased Wing Commander and Tomb Raider games, paraphernalia, after pirating them, because they were GOOD.
Meanwhile, Discovery is NOT good. People in the 24th Century are incredibly millenial in their manner, with no difference from current behavior, and none of the Gene’s utopian vision– except for Captain , who is basically Master Po, who gets killed in the first episode (because for some reason she chose to abandon her ship to fight Klingons)- and so “Michael Burnham” kills the Klingon emperor to avenge her death (ripped off right out of the series “Kung Fu”) and so she now has a price on her head, is falsely put in prison, etc.
It simply sucks in ways that millenials have never SEEN before.
Cody k Greenberg
September 27, 2017 at 3:49 pm
Pirating is wrong, absolutely. The claims by people that they are pirating Discovery because of the paywall are bogus. If you’re gonna pirate it, you were likely gonna pirate it anyway. As evidence, Google “Orville torrent” or “Gotham torrent” or *anything* that is on broadcast, cable, Netflix, etc.. They’re all up there as well, being pirated because that’s what pirates do. There are torrents of YouTube videos. I know someone, grown man, professional, father of two, whose go-to when he wants to watch something is his Kodi box. Doesn’t matter what it is or whether he can get it for free or not, that’s where he goes.
rebelemissary
September 27, 2017 at 4:04 pm
I’ve never pirated entertainment but I’m not paying CBS. So I’ll wait till another free day or free week code becomes available and binge the episodes.
People are sending a message about the shows quality and it being behind a pay wall. Why would people pay for something they don’t like? I.E. the Abramsverse aesthetic, the Klingons that look like Farscape Scarrans (which a friend pointed out) and seem to have pulled a little lore from them as well. I’m sure it’ll get better but it’s not worth $6 with commercials.
Someone pointed out Disney is going in the same direction and I won’t be paying for their service. One of the reason I have Netflix, is it has all of the Star Wars:Clone Wars eps. I can easily go back to watching my DVD’s and that’s what I’m going to do.
When TNG debuted in ’87 with a lot of the same outrage and skepticism from TOS fans. Do you think they would have watched it if Paramount aired TNG on HBO? By the way not the current HBO that has shows like GOT and WestWorld, The Wire, and The Sopranos. The HBO that only had movies and I think the show Dream On were all the original program HBO aired at the time. TNG wouldn’t have made it to it’s second season. Hell, if any of the spin-off went to a cable channel which cost around $10 dollars like CBS All Access. They would have failed to last as long as they did.
GRIMM
September 27, 2017 at 4:39 pm
I have not pirated the show, and do not plan to. Paying for the CBS app is fine on it’s own merit. But I refuse to pay for CBS content twice. If you are one of those who happen to have a cable or satellite subscription, this is what you are doing. Sorry, I have been a Trek fan for a long time, and I get the want or need to have it back on TV, I was super excited to hear about Discovery. But not like this. I will not throw away my common sense in order to have a Trek show. I will be more than happy to have it cancelled and wait. I love ST, I may not always agree with the direction or art style or story. But I would have given the darn thing a chance. I will not pay for CBS content twice.
You do not compromise what is right, just to have something. Paying for this app doesn’t make you a Trek fan. It makes you just as desperate to have Trek as all those who are pirating the show.
When it’s all said and done I also do not want other networks to think it’s a good idea, because if CBS sees this as a success, and I am sure they will, that’s what will happen. By this time next year we will have to pay extra for all network apps with exclusive content. This is how it starts. “The line must be drawn here! This far! No further!”
Arron Ratcliff
September 27, 2017 at 5:32 pm
Well get ready Grimm. All the studios and networks are in planning to launch their own streaming services. They have seen the money Netflix and Hulu and Amazon prime are making and want it for themselves. That’s why Disney has decided to launch their own service.They are pulling all Disney content from the other streaming services by the end of next year so they can launch it in early 2019. And if the other studios and networks follow suit Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime won’t have enough content to keep them afloat.
Mark McKarrion
October 1, 2017 at 5:31 pm
Then they will all lose. You think people are going to be “forced” to pay for a bunch of streaming services just because the studios all want their own udder on the Cash Cow? People will just stop drinking the milk, that’s all.
Arron Ratcliff
October 1, 2017 at 10:34 pm
Not necessarily Cable and Satellite prices are through the roof. if you can get five or six or maybe even seven streaming services for cheaper then one Cable or Satellite package.And it includes just the movies and programs you like, People would rather pay for that then to pay a cable or Sat company for five or six hundred channels they dont even watch or use.
Mark McKarrion
October 5, 2017 at 1:33 am
You are missing the point. People are not rejecting the cable model so much as the money they are spending on it. Cord cutters are not cutting the cord, then subscribing to a bunch of services online to end up paying what they were paying. I personally cut the cord over 8 years ago, when my cable bill hit $185.00 Suddenly, that money was in my wallet instead of being paid for a service giving me a bunch of junk with a pearl or two thrown in.
People would rather not pay. Period. It isnt about what they are paying for, it’s how much they are paying. If you have Netflix or Hulu commercial free or Netflix, why have to buy CBS All Access? Are you aware that The Orville is on Hulu? If you use a VPN, you can watch Discovery on Netflix.
In the case of Discovery, however, the show just stinks. It’s crap. I don’t want to watch it even if free.
A. Gomez
November 6, 2017 at 1:18 am
Grimm, I agree with you 100%. I already pay Verizion for Fios TV + Internet. It’s a whopping $205 / month. I absolutely refuse to pay CBS additional funds to watch a show with commercials. The commercials should already cover the expense of making the show and make them a profit. It is absolutely insane to do so.
Terry Carpenter
September 27, 2017 at 5:10 pm
I am all for supporting what amounts to being some of the finest entertainment in Media today. However, the argument that support HAS to be the CBS All-Access platform doesn’t necessarily hold water. I have a subscription to Netflix. The UK is getting DISCOVERY through Netflix. Why can’t I also? It seems American fans are being forced to pay more by having to subscribe to a service that Euro-fans don’t have to. It is this kind of greasy-grab for more dollars by the bean counters at CBS that irritates me (and I am sure others). Fans get merchandised -not that there is anything wrong with that- so there are many ways we contribute to content THAT ISN’T EVEN NEW- and a reasonable expectation of contribution is expected, but the double dip or the uneven and unfair pricing structure for American audiences VS. Euro makes me resist subscribing.
DataMeister1
September 27, 2017 at 5:16 pm
I’m hoping it will come to Blu-ray at some point or maybe Netflix or Hulu streaming in the US. I mean, heck, I waited 12 years, what’s another 6 months or so?
Kevin M Woodcock
September 27, 2017 at 5:43 pm
Ummm how about this I already pay for Netflix and Direct Tv Cbs is the one that made the show unavailable on the normal channels and quite framkly I’m not paying for a third legal way to watch a show for them to change the rules again CBS all access can screw off
Brian Gross
September 27, 2017 at 5:53 pm
CBS this is your audience telling you they don’t want to have to pay to watch you show and then get slapped with having to watch with ads yet still. Your viewing public is smarter then that. In fact most people I talk to say it’s ok Sci Fi and poor Trek but still watchable. Here is the part CBS should listen to… the next thing they we say is I will watch it but I am NOT PAYING FOR IT…. I hear this a lot more then you think. Greed caused this, bet you if CBS just put it on Netflix to all see they would do better… Story and Cannon issues aside, mainly because it a better platform for the show, Give it a season pass to Amazon like most shows. The issue is no one wants CBS All Access it is a tiny streaming service with not the best content so paying for CBS ALL ACCESS is basically just paying for just Trek because most of the other content on there you can watch almost anywhere. Further more your public your audience the consumer that buys your product is saying NO I am not buying another Streaming Service, Enough is Enough.. The issue is CBS you are not listening to the Data.
ericphillips
September 27, 2017 at 6:10 pm
People are resistant to another subscription. I subscribed, because I want mo’ trek, and my wallet votes. The only problem that even makes me a bit queasy is that all of the media companies are going to put their material behind paywalls they own. Disney, for example, will pull their films from Netflix in 2018 and put them on their service. At $6-$10 a service, with so many of them, it quickly adds up as a monthly fee.
Spaceship Superstar
September 27, 2017 at 6:32 pm
I do not pirate and won’t pirate Discovery. Don’t agree with Pirating. CBS spent a lot of money on a tv show, boo hoo. CBS are the ones taking a risk asking the existing fanbase to ignore all the changes they made to a beloved show and expecting us to open our wallets to watch. I am a lifelong Trekkie but, really struggle with giving in to CBS to pay for a single show on a worthless on-line streaming service. I still don’t get why the US can’t get it on Netflix or Prime or a well established streaming service… oh wait, greedy folks at CBS. I can’t and won’t do it. Maybe I’ll binge when it’s over using a free week, then cancel. If I pay for Cable or Satellite I get lots of channels, including CBS. Now, let’s pay for CBS again just so I can watch Star Trek. Not gonna do it. Wouldn’t be prudent. LLAP
John Capes
September 27, 2017 at 7:50 pm
I have been a fan all of my life. The solution is simple. Don’t pay. Don’t pirate. Don’t watch and let it die. It is awful and doesn’t deserve to be called Star Trek.
James Doster
September 27, 2017 at 8:36 pm
See here’s the problem.
CBS makes it’s money by providing content over the air and having commercials pay for the bills. The higher rated the show, the more the commercials go for. Every cable company in the nation is forced to carry the local broadcast networks, in return they get their coverage out to more people.
Broadcast networks aren’t going anyplace and have an excellent distribution network.
CBS thinks that it’s content is king… that people should pay them hand over fist for this content, on top of this, they’ll advertise to make more money. But here’s the problem… If I subscribe to Cable and say Amazon prime… I’m already paying for content.
I’m not going to want to add $10 or more a month for JUST netflix and $12 for JUST hulu plus. So sure, argue that $24 for the right to watch one series (for one year) is Just, meanwhile I’ll point you to thousands of Cable subscribers who watch 10 – 12 series a year who feel that Cable is getting too expensive.
Netflix is struggling because everyone’s pulling their content. Disney, HBO, Shotime, BBC etc. What each content provider who yanks their content forgets that what made Netflix successful was the VARIETY of content, not just one killer show.
I like the Star Trek Universe… but honestly I’m paying enough for media. I’ll wait until it’s on disk or CBS gives up and airs it over the air in full. Seems like every good one is canceled too early and the ones that were good continue on until they become drivel.
We live in the world of internet and DVRs, streaming and buying online content…
I’m not going to pay $24 for a season of a single show limited use, I’ll wait for the DVD or BluRay… or for outright purchase on Google Play etc. That is providing it survives more than a season.
don’t let the talk about how expensive the show is to make fool you. Broadcast TV shows pay million dollar paychecks to some of their stars… not saying they don’t deserve the money, but clearly they can Make a show on broadcast and make money…
The reality is the show is selling the service, not the other way around.
JB
September 27, 2017 at 10:31 pm
I hope Treknews.net didn’t pay for this article. Don’t break the law by downloading the episode, that hurts your cause. Do break the law by breaking peeping tom laws though, that… will help?
Not a brilliant argument, and really, Discovery may have to die to bring Star Trek back. The first two episodes, watched legally, are miserable if you care about Star Trek.
bluntedkid
September 28, 2017 at 12:21 am
I care about Star Trek enough after seeing the first two episodes of Discovery to decide that I will invest my interest financially in CBSAA if only to show support for Star Trek. So based on that.. who’s really the fan here? One who trashes the new Star Trek product they are putting out for us or people like me who see that this is going to reinvigorate the premise and the genre’s fan base? hmmm
JB
September 28, 2017 at 8:20 am
I have watched both episodes twice and I have done so legally. I have given STD a fair chance and it didn’t achieve a minimal standard to be Star Trek.
I can’t think of anything in Trek history that would urge it’s viewership to blindly accept a thing, except perhaps that there were five lights all along. That would be a pretty odd thing to take away from “Chain of Command,” so I’d have to say I am.
bluntedkid
September 28, 2017 at 12:06 am
I will admit on Monday morning I watched both episodes in HD on my preferred pirate streamer service. It was amazing. I was immediately drawn in by Sonequa Martin-Green. She is a great actress and her character is amazing. Beyond that, I see what all the gripes are about and they are legitimate. You cant bring a show back into the fold with so much history and canon and not adhere by it or acknowledge it. Alex Kurtzman is no stranger to Trek now as he wrote the reboot and he should know by now how important canon is to fans. Same time though – we need to bring in a whole new fan base because us hardcore fans bitching about canon are not going to get the show renewed. We need fresh blood and this is how you do it – with fancy tech and graphics and a new story original to the characters being introduced and I think its a strength because this story is going to get good!! Watching Star Trek Discovery made me remember my Saturday nights as a young teen watching STNG, I loved The Next Generation and every show that came after that paled in comparison because it wasnt the Enterprise story. But they were good. This new story all these years later feels original and not re-hased and not playing out the same canon again and again and I think this is what Trek needs – a fresh jolt. So based on all that, I feel the need to invest my interest wisely, I plan on signing up for CBSAA as long as Star Trek is on. Discovery won this Trekkie over. If you are a fan do the right thing and show your support, my logic is, its the same cost as one beer at a bar… lol you know how many beers I have on a good night? Point made. hahah
Tonppa
September 28, 2017 at 1:28 am
Piracy DOES NOT significantly hurt sales. Says EU study – https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/22/eu-suppressed-study-piracy-no-sales-impact/
Chilton Webb
September 28, 2017 at 9:05 am
I paid for it, but I also pirated it. Their app didn’t work (couldn’t reach their servers, apparently) and they aired it after a football game so my DVR didn’t catch the end of the premier.
Hey here’s a thought–if they want our “nerd money” maybe airing the Star Trek pilot on its own night, or at least not after a football game would be a less jerk move.
Seriously, is there any more insulting way they could launch a new Trek TV show? Were they expecting a football game to end on time?
dennis hotston
September 28, 2017 at 9:30 am
Because I wanted to see this show succeed, I paid for All Access.
I’m a Canadian, and travel between here and the US.
My Space Go App (and a VPN) would have allowed me to watch DSC while in America. I didn’t.
I’m paying to watch Discovery, in two countries.
If you want to watch DSC as it airs, it will cost you $12.00 for the first 8 episodes, and $12.00 for the last 7 eps. That’s a staggering $24.00. If you can wait until January, it’s $12.00 to watch the season. $6.00 if you’re watching in February.
Let’s look at the long game, here. We’re 10 years out from Kirk and Spock. Once DSC does it’s 7 years? Kirk and Spock are right behind them.
I want Star Trek to succeed, artistically and financially.
If you’re watching Star Trek through alternative means? Please, buy at least one month of All Access, to help it financially.
I’ll touch on the authors thoughts about Game Of Thrones.
Here, in Canada, THOUSANDS of fans reach out the HBO in the USA and ask how they can sign up for HBO, directly.
HBO US kicks them back to Canada.
Bell Media, the distributor in Canada, only sells the show on satellite or to the other cable providers. Bell also has a Netflix like service called crave TV.
A lot of Canadians don’t have cable or satellite. They use an antenna or Netflix.
To get HBO, in Canada, one must have: a cable or satellite subscription, then pay for an extensive movie bundle just to get HBO.
Some can’t afford the $100.00 a month that would cost to get cable or satellite, let alone the premium movie package.
Imagine it this way: You want to go to a local coffee shop and buy a donut.
You can only buy said donut after you buy a coffee and a dozen donuts.
Most people would leave said establishment. Stay with me- there are only two other places you can buy said donut. Both have the same donut but have a similar policy as the first coffee shop.
If somebody wants said donut, they will find alternative ways to find it.
A solution from where I’m sitting would be: Offer the shows you want as a digital download an hour after airing for $2.00 allowing people to own the content to play on all of their devices.
If you’re an existing Netflix subscriber in the US or Canada, offer the episode an hour after it airs on All Access. Or, increase their subscription price a dollar or two to watch it as it airs.)
DSC and GOT fans want to watch these shows, exclusively. Let them buy it how they choose.
nerdrrage
September 29, 2017 at 4:57 pm
CBS All Access will expand to Canada in 2018. They are a lot more forward thinking than HBO which seems mired in the past. Who knows when HBO Now will be expanded to Canada. It should have the same footprint as Netflix and Amazon by now.
Elvar Lavar
September 28, 2017 at 10:29 am
Well i do pay for netflix (who have the rights here) but the quality is not the best. So i download a 1080p copy for my big screen tv. So i am paying my part and i suspect many who download is doing the same.
dennis hotston
September 28, 2017 at 11:03 am
I think you’re right about that. I’m surprised Netflix in Europe isn’t in 4K. Wow.
Jerry Nixon
September 28, 2017 at 1:07 pm
Consider this: I am a paying subscriber, and I torrent the episodes. Why? Because CBS All Access streams at standard definition to my house. I want to see the episodes in all of their glory without a buffering spinner when the action heats up. Let’s be honest, for a new Star Trek series, I would have even paid more than $10 a month. That’s, what, $2.50 an episode? Man, I am a real fan. But, if I didn’t torrent the show, I would be cursing CBS Streaming all the live-long day, and would never really enjoy the show as it was intended to be enjoyed. So, be careful with your conclusions with data like that – there are more scenarios than the obvious ones: there are always “possibilities”, as I am sure you already know.
Karl
September 28, 2017 at 7:13 pm
Whether it’s a big corporation or small indie producer, pay for the content. People worked on this, from the big stars right down to the guy who provided the sandwiches. They all need to make a living. As a designer and artist whose work has been stolen (ie, pirated) it’s not just a matter of lost income, but an issue of respect too. I have friends who pirate music, movies, TV shows etc, and whatever… but when I explain my reasons that I pay for Spotify, pay for Netflix, Amazon etc, that I refuse to steal from the people whose heart and artistry has gone into these things, they at worst shrug their shoulders and say “I get it, but…” and at best think about it and change their behavior. Or maybe they don’t tell me they’re still pirating.
nerdrrage
September 29, 2017 at 4:47 pm
I play a game where I see if I can find a legal way to access what I want, and if not, then I pirate it.
So far, I can honestly say I have never had to pirate anything. Even if I have to schlep to the library for DVDs because unaccountably, even Netflix doesn’t get the DVDs of something (Adventure Time), I will do that rather than pirate. It won’t kill me to use a library card. When people say they “have” to pirate stuff, what they really mean is, they are more impatient and lazy than they are honest.
Markus McLaughlin
September 28, 2017 at 7:28 pm
I can only afford 2 months of All Access, when the season wraps up next year; I’ll binge for a month! 😀
nerdrrage
September 29, 2017 at 4:44 pm
I could afford to subscribe for the whole year but I won’t. I want to send a message to CBS: drop the episodes at once because I want to set the schedule myself, not follow yours. And if that means nobody will subscribe any other month, then the solution is for you to get cracking and develop more shows that will keep folks around year-round.
ZOD
September 28, 2017 at 8:51 pm
I subscribed, but I wasn’t particularly happy about it. If I was 1% less honest or 10% poorer I would have pirated the show too. If Discovery doesn’t improve I’ll have no reason to pay for this VERY redundant feeling streaming service.
Gareth Fairclough
September 29, 2017 at 9:27 am
Yep. I’m going “ARRRR MATEY” on this show. “Why?” I hear you ask?
I’ll tell you.
Because I’m not paying if it isn’t good, trek or no.
My plan was always to pirate the first three episodes and pay up for the lot if *at least* two of those are good. If not, then I’ll keep pirating.
As much as I like star trek, I will not support a poor product. Better to have nothing than rubbish.
So far, it’s 1-1. This third episode is the tie breaker.
nerdrrage
September 29, 2017 at 4:41 pm
If it’s not worth paying for, how could it be worth your time to watch?
Time > money. You can always get more money but all of us have a limited number of hours on this earth…maybe you’re still too young to realize that but you shouldn’t waste a minute watching a “poor product.”
nerdrrage
September 29, 2017 at 4:39 pm
CBS is a corporation. Corporations understand only one language: money. If you want to send a message to CBS – such as, say, stop dribbling out the episodes weekly because I want to set my own schedule, not follow yours – you need to do so monetarily. Waiting till Spring to signup for a month and then bailing is the way to tell them to drop all the episodes at once.
The thing about piracy is, it sends no message. No money is attached. CBS can’t tell if pirates would ever have been paying customers. Maybe they’re just people who want something for nothing. Why bother to pay attention to them at all?
Joe
September 29, 2017 at 7:13 pm
Maybe if they just aired the show on their channel that is free to watch and shockingly supported by commercials that I’m sure would make them more money than tricking people into paying for free stuff. The show wouldn’t get distributed as heavily as it is. Keeping in mind that court ruled that people are free to record and share TV programming to which this explicitly falls into. There is no violation only corporate greed with big bucks stomping on consumer rights here. With a little leg work you can find the relevant court case(s).
Hash
October 1, 2017 at 1:12 am
The head of cbs already said they’ve made huge profits off the show before a single one of us signed up for all access, probably from Netflix deal. And now has had record number of all access sign ups maybe the leak of profits (from pirates) will show them they should do something different. IM one of the Americans who is paying for all access and will only pay while trek is on.
Urs F (Feno3000)
October 1, 2017 at 3:16 am
Empty propaganda… Pirating does NOT destroy shows. Just look at HBO. Both Game of Thrones and Westworld have been consistently high on the reported pirating lists and yet GoT goes into Season 80 and about 75 episodes total. Hardly a decision the station execs would make if Pirating had destroyed its profit margin! Even if the regular season subscriptions only roughly pay for it… these things also make records in disksales afterwards and bring back the investment easily.
Let the studios worry about the quality and watchability… the lucrativity will come from on its own – if deserved.
Kevin
October 1, 2017 at 7:20 pm
What shill-worthy drivel. CBS’ decision is an atrocity, and that’s what pushing the piracy.
Like most fans, I will not be signing up to give CBS 6 bucks for one show PLUS commercials. I’m just not that stupid. Since there’s no chance they’ll be getting my money due to their asinine, arrogant, low-value paywall strategy… it doesn’t matter if I do or don’t watch the show through other less legal means. They would have gotten my money if they’d reached an agreement with one of the streaming services that people already own, who built up their userbase by providing content and value. They would have gotten a lot of people’s money through selling box sets or digital downloads after each season.
If Star Trek Discovery dies the first season, it will be because CBS shot itself in the groin. I’d rather have this decent-looking rendition of Star Trek fail as a cautionary tale than for every broadcast network to feel like their idea of making their own high-priced streaming service is in any way validated.
Scott Sanchez
October 1, 2017 at 9:42 pm
There would seem to be a solution that would work for those parts of the world where the real problems seem to lie. Make CBSAA available in every country, one price, one menu. They seem big enough to make it work.
Daniel Crispin
October 1, 2017 at 10:38 pm
Right now, the show is pretty aweful. The visuals are amazing, movie quality to be sure. But the story… oh my god is it bad! Sending a 2 woman boarding party on a Klingon Battleship? Give me a break! And the new klingons are a slap in the face to any star trek fan. As for piracy, it might be easy to get in the US, but here in Canada it’s not. I tried to register to CBS and they will not let me. And I am not gonna subscribe to cable, then Space to watch the show. I have been saying to years that studios need to get their shit together and start offering direct access packages like Netflix does if they want to get people to pay. The days of paying 100$ per month for cable and being forced to watched when it’s on are far passed.
sethspost
October 1, 2017 at 10:39 pm
I / we should not have to pay for a CBS show when i already get cbs on my cable subscription. So one less star trek fan here.
Askyerfather.com
October 4, 2017 at 5:48 am
I think because initial reports were patchy and the initial episode was good but not mindblowing that a lot of fans were cynical that it would be any good. Nobody is going to want to ponie up the money to subscribe for one show and then find out they wasted their money, especially when we all know we can get pirate copies. They’d have been better giving viewers 3-4 episodes and then if it’s good everyone would jump on board and subscribe.
I’m lucky that in the uk it’s on netflix and therefore i get to watch it as part of my netflix package. But if i didn’t have netflix because there wasn’t anything else on netflix that already made it worthwhile, there is no way i’d subscribe for just one show.
I’ve watched a few episodes of GOT’S pirated or at my mother’s because in the UK it’s on sky, which is really expensive even if you like everything they offer butif GOT is your thing, there’s little else one offeron sky like GOT, it’s an anomoly. Result massive pirating. I may be wrong but my US friends tell me CBS is a similar deal, there’s nothing else to offer so they won’t pay just to watch Discovery (especially while it’s still an unknown quantity).
ASolutionToAProblem
October 6, 2017 at 7:13 pm
The show sucks donkey ballz. I have watched every incarnation of star trek in the past, own many on dvd, but this show is the worst. Beyond me why any trekkie could watch this abomination. After 30 minutes watching the first episode, i turned the channel. This show will not make it.
imaprinta .
October 8, 2017 at 2:19 am
If you look at the length of the first 2 episodes, you might notice they are approximately the same total time as a regular hour long TV episode, minus commercials. That tells me CBS intends to put this on commercial TV at some point. So the argument is that CBS needs the money to continue making a high quality visual product, when in fact what they are doing is simply adding another income stream. They get us to pay for it first through AllAccess, then put it on DVD and finally broadcast season one on CBS commercial television right when season two starts, peek our interest again to get people to sign up for AllAccess to watch season two. They will make a bundle – so don’t fall for the ‘if they don’t make money, the show won’t go on’ argument.
Scott T Williamson
October 11, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Game of Thrones is pirated to Timbuktu and back and HBO’s fine – even spending $10M+ an episode. CBS all access gets you Star Trek Discovery and… what? You’re asking a high price for content when the growth of Amazon and Netflix libraries lately means the market has been offering greater value for the monthly fee, rather than a greater willingness to buy content.
Knight Fast
October 12, 2017 at 4:45 am
CBS is changing their marking plan. Before this they wanted a monthly fee to include their regular programing added to your TV service. Now they want another monthly fee to access special CBS content. First time it was BS and second time it is BS. Their programs are a take it or leave it and not worth any monthly fee. Have lived without their network for Months until they finally joined the TV service without the fee.
It is a marketing model worth not encouraging. Wait until the season is over and join up for the Free service and Binge watch for a week. Otherwise save your money.
BigRig Stig
November 4, 2017 at 3:24 pm
We already pay CBS for their content, in subscriptions fees on cable & satellite services, and in the commercials we are still forced to watch even with their subscription service.
And yet they have the gall to ask for more?
Had they put the show on regular broadcast TV, as they should have, they’d be making far more money in advertising revenue alone. Forcing people to pay a subscription AND watch commercials is shoving the knife in & twisting it: just too damn much for the average viewer to put up with.
And its not the average viewer that’s downloading the episodes: it’s a tiny minority that record & share something that should have been more available to start with. Any illegal streaming service (and there’s dozens at least) is an enterprise taking advantage of the Internet, and should be considered “true piracy”; but goes unmentioned when everyone is busy vilifying the individual downloader, who is a microscopic speck in comparison with the real pirating enterprises.
CBS needs to air this on their main services, period. They’re using it to try to drive traffic to their subscription service, and it’s failing.
If there’s a commercial in it, it’s already been paid for. Asking for fees atop of that is pure extortion.
Sarah Goodwich
November 9, 2017 at 4:53 pm
“The bottom line is this: if you are a fan, who like millions of others have been waiting for Star Trek to return to television, and you are illegally watching the show, you are hurting your cause.”
As Cartman says: SCREW YOU KYLE!
I can’t be “hurting my cause” by WATCHING something!
As long as I’m not distributing it, what’s the diff.
Anyway I’m just watching it to see if it sucks as bad as everyone says.. and while I do have some mixed feelings about it, yeah, it sucks. So now Klingons are black apes, and Harry Mudd is a time-traveling murderer rather than just a ruthless con-man– while we’re to believe that Spock had a human step-sister who is Wesley Crusher’s soul-brother?
(Screams) “RET-CONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Richard Stevens
January 28, 2018 at 1:39 am
I was floored when I first tried to watch the show and found to my utter disgust it wasn’t aired in the US. In the past, the Television versions of Star Trek have always been free to watch on regular television. Now everyone wants to cash in on the “Netflix” Pay as you go parade! CBS totally spit in the faces of the U.S. fans of the genre by not even letting the show be seen on Netflix here and they can rot in the hottest blackest regions of hades! I’ll torrent the show and give them the double middle fingers while I do and if any of those greedy mudsucking, banana munching, simian, anthropoid, troglodite swinging thru the trees simps comes knocking on my door about it, they will find what all would expect to find…an ARMED AMERICAN. They are a sorry bunch of vomit licking, egg sucking eaters of catfood! Yes, you can quote me on it!
Stephen Hovey
August 22, 2019 at 8:31 pm
the orville was free to watch..
Travis Johnson
August 22, 2019 at 8:31 pm
This strikes me as alarmist. Do you actually know showing up as one of the most pirated shows would lead to less studio support for a new Trek series? Absolutely not, unless you are secretly a CBS studio exec in which case this whole op-ed becomes a.lot more interesting.
Craig List
August 22, 2019 at 8:31 pm
came across this and did some researching ,
Went to apple and the apple TV app for CBS, and guess what 2 top posts.
Big thumbs down and guess what the comments are…. star trek fans that say they signed up just for discovery and cancelled because the service was so bad.
So before people start going on about paying for stuff, maybe do some research. And see that the service CBC wants you to pay for is junk !!!
BrianAAA
August 22, 2019 at 8:31 pm
The rest of the world can watch it on netflix. THAT is the lesson here!! Put the show on a service people see some value in. Most of the money to make the show comes from foregin sales to services that people in those countries actually want. The show will survive but CBS subscription should go away. If very few people sign up for the CBS subscription and get the show by other means maybe CBS will get the hint and put it on netflix in the U.S. like they do for the rest of the world.
Valerius
August 22, 2019 at 8:31 pm
It’s really not so simple. Basically, in the western hemisphere you got two options: in the US it’s CBSAA. Yet another subscription service *sigh*! Alright, let’s do the free month then cancel it. Big win for CBS. Not.
In Europe it’s Netflix. Which is fine because many people can watch it there including me. However, took them forever to switch from 1080p to 4K because whatthehellever and people certainly won’t care on a brilliantly looking show such as this *rolleyes* (I suspect licensing shenengians btw).
The Short Treks will, for whatever licensing BS reason, not be on Netflix. So once again it’s something that is US exclusive. And you gotta ask… why? It’s 2019. By now TPTB could know how this works because of course I will pirate them.
Geoffrey Lang
August 22, 2019 at 8:31 pm
I would agree with what you said here, except so long as every damn crooked company making a show thinks its ok to charge people for a completely separate service, for every god damn show thats coming out, they are BEGGING for people to say “screw you, fine I’ll pirate it instead”…..and the customer WILL be in the right to pirate. Most of all because if every new show births a new service you have to pay for, then EVERY service will be a lesser one, because nothing will collect them all in one place. Keep in mind that we are living in a country that has raised prices on EVERYTHING (except labor) yearly, and now everything is WAAAAY over priced for the average wage. We do not live in a nation rich enough to float crooked scams like this. If they can’t make the show without ripping off the audience…..THEN DON’T MAKE IT. Because the cost isn’t an excuse for screwing the audience and then using the logic you did here, for guilting them into LETTING it happen.
If they want people to pay for it, then….PICK A SERVICE and go with that, don’t create a new one. So the pirating of this show is ENTIRELY on them, not on their audience. The same will happen to Disney+ streaming service. Until we force businesses to do honest business through common sense regulation, pirating is on the studios producing content, not on their audience forced to pirate because some business got too greedy to be affordable. It is not about how much this particular service costs, its in how many services are coming out of the woodwork and forcing you to pay for every damn show separately.
Rebalynn Anderson
August 22, 2019 at 8:31 pm
omg quit crying the actors and studios and big wig execs still make more money in one year than most make in 10 years or in there lifetime when it comes to corporate execs besides cbs cries its being pirated so what , if it wasnt for the fans it wouldnt be here anyway , they need us to line there pockets how about a little apreceation for the fans that have kept star trek going for 60 years