How Much Would You Pay To Watch Your Favorite TV Show?
How Much Would You Pay To Watch Your Favorite TV Show?
Recently it seems that TV networks have been on a cancelling binge. A lot of great TV shows like Journeyman, Jericho, Aliens in America, Moonlight got the axe and, although viewers are outraged and upset, the realities of the market economy are inescapable. If the network feels like they are not getting enough money out of a show, either because of low ratings or undesirable demographic, it is game over. Or is it?
What if there was a solution to this problem? What if the networks could keep shows on the air longer? What if shows were never cancelled because of money problems? Here is how you do it: Have viewers subscribe to shows that they like and pay a $20 monthly fee.
I can already hear the gasps from some of you so hear me out before you dismiss this idea. Here is how it would work. Some non profit group sets up a web site where anybody can sign up and subscribe to keep their favorite TV show on the air. Here is where I feel it gets interesting. Any money you give goes straight to the show you like. The monthly fee would be $20 and you could subscribe to as many shows as you want. Imagine you only want to keep on the air four shows. That is $5 per show. Imagine now there are at least a million people out there who feel the same way about those same shows. That is 5 million dollars a month per show which is huge.
Now, I still feel like some of you are still skeptical about this. Namely, what would happen if the networks cancel the show anyway? Well, we could fix that by establishing a rule where Networks who participate in this program could not cancel this show unless there was a good reason (creative differences, writers getting fired and/or actors leaving) and even so, they would HAVE to provide a decent two hour finale so that the fans would not be cheated.
There are other rules that have to be established here to protect the viewers from networks trying to shaft them but fundamentally you get the idea. This way, you can literally participate in shaping your own entertainment. You like a particular show? You subscribe to it. You don’t like what the writers are doing with that show? Unsubscribe from it. This could be the most powerful way for viewers to vote for the shows they love in the only language that networks understand: MONEY.
Feel free to leave a comment to share your thoughts.
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I already pay over 200.00 a mont for cable and about 60.00 of that is basic So I would hate to pay more money just to be able to watch TV. I see your logic but when would you even pay in second season what if I did not subscribe to a show and I missed a good one?? By 2nd season I would know if I liked it. I do think however shows should be required to have show ending show. I loved how Sunset Strip ended by clearing everything up nicely. I may be willing to pay a one time show ender fee to see a final 2 hour episode.
Well, I'm french so I'm not really concerned but I like the idea. If, for beginning, all shows could have a conclusion, I think it would be a good thing.
It could be an interesting way to make money, and independant, because it would be the public who pay and not the sponsor.
being in the philippines, i would really appreciate actually being given a voice in the matter. having a choice on what i watch would be so wonderful. and this question really poses to the viewers if they want the responsibility of having that kind of power over the networks. instead of leaving the line up of shows as a business enterprise that the sponsors and network execs suck each others blood on. these higher ups most likely watch very little television to begin with, to tell us, their viewers, what we wanna watch!
how bout showing it online instead? we would pay to download it, or apple-tv it.
sanctuary is probably not the best example of an online show since it was not continued either, but it gives us a possible way of continuing the show wont it?
if I could watch Jericho ,Moonlight and New Amsterdam ,,, yes, yes, yes! I would love the chance to continue watching all three of these shows. I would pay. I loved these shows and was able to get my husband hooked on these as well . It was our time together and cheaper than going out to a movie or renting a DVD , especially if you include the price of gas. My sons loved Jericho and it was one of the few shows we gathered together to watch a program. We let nothing stop us. We each looked forward to this.these were like good books that you didn't want to put down.having a choice is such a wonderful thing. At present, I have no intentions of watching any new programming. I will be content to watch re-runs,honest. This past year with these shows being dropped have been huge dissapointments. I wrote my first letter to CBS , I have never,ever written a letter to any tv station in my 40 some years. I love The Riches, Big Love,Rescue Me , Army Wifes. Once these shows go off the air , I will start buying DVDs from tv shows that have ended. I know they will be ending, at least I will have some control over when. It ha been a horrible last few years for network tv.time to give it up.
If it meant I got to still watch Journeyman and Moonlight? October Road? Sure. I would probably pay $20 per show. On top of my cable fees. It would make me feel like an even bigger part of the show.
I think you guys have gone insane!
Networks are not allowed to cancel a show? That doesn't sound like a free market system... 
hahaha, it does sound extreme, but think about it, if the network thinks that a show is not making enough money they would give it the axe. it's all about numbers, sponsors, and dinero, but it's the people thus the audience that see and buy the products of the sponsors that have ads in these shows, so who does have the power?
I would gladly pay $5-10 per episode for new eps of Moonlight. This seems like a reasonable option, especially if WB can't find a network that is willing to take the risk on Moonlight (although for the life of me, I can't figure out WHY they wouldn't!). Another option that occurs to me is straight-to-DVD episodes. I'm up for pretty much any option that will keep Moonlight going. The show is that good...
ye, if no one picks it up yet alot of people support it, they should do what stargate does, straight to dvd movies.
I think it would be a great idea. Of course this is just a outline and it would have to beworked out better to suit everyone involve. but yes I would pay to see episodes of shows like moonlight. We pay for them now on internet sites and those are ones that have aired.
I would worry that the networks or producers would short change the production in order to make a profit on the money put into the pot. A lot of rules would have to be established to keep greedy producers from dipping into the cash to fill their pockets. I would constantly worry about how the money is being spent. After all it is my money and I work hard to earn it so I would want a voice in how it is spent if it went to something such as this. Make it a stock system so we share in the profits and invest in our favorite TV shows. If it makes it big or gets put into syndication then everyone will reap the benefits depending on the number of stocks purchased.
I agree that MONEY is the only thing networks understand. Fans of Moonlight have been told that cancelling Moonlight was purely a business decision. So what if the reverse is true? Would TheCW picking up Moonlight be considered a good business decision for the following reasons?
According to this Wall Street Journal article->
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121089546043097065.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news
TheCW, since it's inception, has lost $2 billion and 22% of its audience. I submit that TheCW picking up Moonight would help on both fronts.
Moonlight has 8 million viewers that would follow Moonlight to whatever network airs it. 8 mlllion viewers with disposal income for that network’s advertisers.
Moonlight more than doubles TheCW’s “it†show “Gossip Girl,†and with “Smallville†on its 8th and probably last season, Moonlight certainly could fill that void as well.
Also, with the movie “Twilight†hitting theaters December 2008, TheCW would have a show on their network that could piggy-back from the buzz generated.
I would be interested on your take that Moonlight would be a golden opportunity for TheCW to help prop up its viewership as well as bring in much-needed ad revenue.
Edited to add:
You can read the latest fan efforts here->
http://forums.moonlightline.com/viewforum.php?f=8
http://forums.moonlightline.com/viewforum.php?f=429
Moonlight fans are not going to give up on their show without a fight.
In Vampire Solidarity...rah, rah, rah!
I already pay through the nose for cable TV as it is. I'd rather just pay for a show direct to DVD so I can get quality and no ads.
No, even though it sounds like a good idea, TV has already become too expenisve without having to pay extra money. Yes, it would be great to see my favorite shows stay on the air longer but at what cost. No!
I watch very little of what's on TV anymore. I'd pay if I could get the shows I enjoy as long as it were reasonable. I watch very little regular cable TV. I could always reduce the package I have now.
PLUS, we viewers could have MUCH more control over the series/shows we enjoy IF a minimum number of subscribers were set and a series could not be canceled for viewership unless subscriptions fell below that set number.
That would prevent executive whims from ending something the viewers enjoy.
[...] This week, Eric wondered how much you would pay to watch your favorite TV show. (Daemon’s TV) [...]
[...] This week, Eric wondered how much you would pay to watch your favorite TV show. (Daemon’s TV) [...]
You would need to overcome various problems. One, a network may cancel a show because they want to change their lineup or demographics or they just have some really creative ideas in the pipeline. What if CBS never put Moonlight or Jericho on the air because they were being paid to keep a different show. . Being contractually obligated to carry a show might limit them so the deal would have to be with the production company not the network. The viewing outlet would then need to be a different channel or online. The broadcast network would then be vying with a paying subscriber system for rights to the show - could be complicated but with a fan base like Moonlight it might work.
[...] week, Eric wondered how much you would pay to watch your favorite TV [...]
[...] This week, Eric wondered how much you would pay to watch your favorite TV show. (Daemon’s TV) [...]
a lot
As an avid fan of "Moonlight" I would be willing to pay the additional monies to support the show. Just so you know it wasn't ratings that canceled the show even though that's what the network said. It was first artistic differences, the network wanted to create another CSI show made up of vampires, which would have literally changed everything about the story line, secondly parentstv.org had been writing letters to every advertiser since the show was aired, saying every product that was shown on the commercials would be boycotted, as well as sending multitudes of letters daily to the advertisers, and network. Last of all when the cast, crew, writers, and producers stood up to the network for the show they bled for and fought for Moonlight was canceled. Also, Nielsen ratings admitted to the network that the ratings had been under rated, and the numbers were inaccurate, apparently the numbers were much higher than what they reported, and CBS was forced to open up a phone line for fans to call in, the network couldn't keep up with the calls from the fans leaving messages on the voice mail. In order to make an informed decision you need to have all the facts, the show was not canceled due to ratings, that is completely untrue.
The fans have congregated to support the show, the advertisers, and any network that picks up the cast and crew and will follow no matter where "Moonlight" lands. We have created our own Army so to speak from world-wide to do whatever it takes to bring "Moonlight" back. Although I pay for basic and premium cable, an extra $20 or $40 is worthwhile in my book to have my favorite show back.
I just have to wonder CBS put "Swingtown" and other shows that definitely go way beyond of pushing the envelope, I look forward to the parentstv.org realizing what deal they made with the devil in exchange for objecting to "Moonlight."
Only for moonlight if i was soemone with alot of money i would have paid 20,000$ but i am not i am a 20 years old college student from califorina. so in honestly i would pay 10$ to 20 dollars. just top have moonlight back.
[...] subscription and live on a steady diet of iTunes and Hulu. Yes I would pay for shows but at least I would pay for TV shows I want to watch not TV shows I have to [...]