Bojack Horseman is coming to Comedy Central soon
History is set to be made next Wednesday when episodes of Bojack Horseman begin airing on Comedy Central.
In a move that surprised most people, Comedy Central purchased the television rights to episodes of the Netflix Original show Bojack Horseman earlier this year. The episodes will begin airing on Wednesday, September 26, beginning with the first season. Comedy Central will also make certain episodes available online as well as the Comedy Central App.
This is a huge move and may impact the way Netflix sets up its deals in the future. This deal will bring the critically acclaimed and Emmy nominated series into the homes of new viewers.
Running back-to-back with episodes of South Park, Bojack should be well positioned to reach its target audience. If non-subscribers like the show, this could very easily lead to more subscriptions for the streaming giant. However, this move is not a strategic one on their part.
Many wondered how this was possible. The answer to that question is also the answer as to whether or not we should expect to see more shows make the leap. Bojack was one of the first shows to be optioned by Netflix to air as one of its originals so the deal that Tornate co. (the company that produced Bojack) was able to get a better deal than many of the shows that followed.
In their deal, the company was able to retain the show’s off-network domestic syndication rights which is the only reason this move is possible. After they gained steam, Netflix was able to demand worldwide exclusivity for any future original series’. House of Cards is another show that maintained its syndication rights but with the issues surrounding Kevin Spacey it is unlikely we’ll see a deal for their old episodes any time soon.
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One thing to look out for with this move is whether or not there is an influx of subscribers after the show begins to air. Netflix will likely be observing trends and if they notice that the exposure is bringing in viewers, they may explore syndication deals for the shows they own full rights to.
Bojack Horseman will begin airing on Comedy Central on Sept. 26 at 10:30 PM Eastern.