Comment on New Era of Star Trek - promotional trailer for new shows on Paramount+
gnuplusmatt@startrek.website 9 months agoThe video is from Paramount Plus, who don’t currently have the rights to Prodigy, even though the parent company does. If they included it in their promotional material it would effect their ability to either sell those rights to someone else or write the show off for tax purposes.
It’s convoluted and stupid, but running your streaming service as a separate entity is how all the studios have it rigged up. Accounting ftw
Nmyownworld@startrek.website 9 months ago
Convoluted, indeed. At this point, Paramount+ has zero say in Prodigy. Maybe Paramount+ even mentioning the existence of Prodigy might mess up their write-off (I’m saying this with zero sympathy for the “creative” accounting, just to be clear). I have no idea where Nickelodeon even factors in the Prodigy rights situation. Paramount allowed a sneak peek at Prodigy season 2, episode 1 before, WOW - Prodigy Second Season Sneak Peek!. All in all, a very frustrating situation. It seems the best we can do is keep Prodigy’s name alive online and in letters.
ilhamagh@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I have no idea how accounting works.
Can you enlighten me why they did that? What’s this “creative” accounting?
Nmyownworld@startrek.website 9 months ago
I’m not an accountant. My understanding is that streaming companies are using accounting alchemy with write-downs to bump up what’s in the profit category for a quarter. A streaming program getting this treatment disappears from the streaming platform. The studio chooses to take a quick on paper profit now, rather than continue to carry a show for a possible profit later. Viewers are left in the lurch – the show(s) they enjoyed or intended to watch are gone. And creators are hung out to dry, as the programs they created and worked on are not only gone from the streaming service, but may never be seen again. Prodigy has the advantage of a vocal fan base. Many shows might never gain an audience because there is no longer any way to see them.
Prodigy isn’t the only program Paramount+ disappeared. Paramount+ isn’t the only company doing this. Disney Plus removed a lot content earlier this year.
doublenut@lemm.ee 9 months ago
Bit backwards. They’re making it look like they’re taking a loss on paper in order to avoid “actual losses” which include paying their fair share of taxes as well as the creatives, actors and production folk that would otherwise receive residuals on the now extinct future profits. This tactic is a major driver in the current strikes.