LogFAQs > #901169854

I need to just make a TV Production Economics thread at the beginning of May so I can reference it...

Anyway relevant facts time:

Lucifer is a WB produced show in its third season. It's most recent episode scored a 0.7 in the 18-49 demo. It has an average of .83 in the 18-49 for the season. Despite it being it's third season and it being produced by an outside production studio (which normally guarantees a renewal), it's 13 episode first season means a normal length 22 episode season will leave it short of the magic 88 episode number. It's still close though which means WB has incentive to license it to Fox for cheap, increasing it's renewal chances. Furthermore WB has a very strong streaming focus on it's shows and might be willing to take a loss on actual licensing revenue. For reference, WB's own channel, the CW, operates entirely on a loss in service to streaming contracts.

B99 is an NBCU produced show in its fifth season. It's most recent episode scored a 0.7 in the 18-49 demo and it has a season average of .73 in that demo. It will have aired 110 episodes at the end of this season putting it well over the syndication number and thus NBCU does not have an incentive to slash licensing fees. This means Fox would get no real discount for airing the series. When a show gets low ratings and the broadcast channel is neither getting it for cheap or any ownership stake in the series, it is likely to get cancelled. Which B99 did.

As a side-note: Quality of programming is completely irrelevant to a network outside of putting it in a promo. A show could win awards left and right and it'll still get cancelled if it doesn't actually make money.
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S*** I have to stop doing that," Gheb said, as he lay back down and died again. - Forgotten Love
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