Star Trek fans around the world clamoring for CBS' new take on the universe have an unexpected party to thank for the show's international availability: Netflix. The streaming giant announced today that it's obtained the international rights to the new Star Trek in 188 countries (excluding the US and Canada), a deal that'll see new episodes premiering on Netflix less than 24 hours after they make their domestic debut on CBS All Access, the network's own paid streaming platform. Netflix has also secured the rights to all 727 episodes of Star Trek already made, including episodes from the original series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. Those shows will be available for streaming around the world on Netflix by the end of 2016.
This deal answers one of the biggest questions surrounding the new Star Trek show's home on CBS All Access. (The first episode is premiering on CBS proper before the show moves to All Access.) Because All Access has a relatively small audience and is limited to the US, it wasn't clear how the show was going to make its way around the world. (Canadian viewers will be able to watch the show and the old Star Trek collections on CraveTV, a Canada-specific streaming service.) Now that Netflix has jumped in to sate worldwide Trekkies, it sets an interesting precedent for the other All Access-exclusive shows in development. Star Trek is premiering on CBS in January 2017.
"The launch of the new Star Trek will truly be a global television event," said CBS Studios International president and CEO Armando Nuñez in a statement. "This international partnership will provide fans around the world... the opportunity to see every episode virtually at the same time as viewers in the US. Thanks to our world-class partners at Netflix, the new Star Trek will definitely be 'hailing on all frequencies' throughout the planet."
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