MGM should consider this plan

[Nathan Reynolds]

Why doesnt MGM shell out like 20M or somesuch and produce stargate sg1 independtly? They could release the eps online in a special broadcast website or release the dvds on a regular basis and at the end release the full season.
People would buy them and after the full release of the season in US they could sell it overseas to other networks.

Don't you guys think that this would work?

[Crow T. Robot]

What type of budget would MGM be willing to give SG? Will cast and crew contracts allow for them to do this? How are they going to lure an investor in to giving the chunk of change that Sci Fi has when there’s no guarantee against pirating? How will it affect DVD sales? And what US network would pay for the rights to air the episodes after it’s been released on the internet?

All questions MGM would have to seriously consider.

[Actionhank]

Why doesnt MGM shell out like 20M or somesuch and produce stargate sg1 independtly? They could release the eps online in a special broadcast website or release the dvds on a regular basis and at the end release the full season.
People would buy them and after the full release of the season in US they could sell it overseas to other networks.

Don't you guys think that this would work?

Yes I think this could work but there are still some Problems to overcome:

1. It's not easy for people to convince other people to go different ways, not to go on the old fashioned way that worked so well the last 50 years.
2. given the infrastructure of today there would be less viewers because there are not enough people with the proper devices.

But yes - I think some big company has to make the first step in the business and what better way to start with a science fiction series.
Of course they would have to find a way to be able to do business with people all over the world (not just with people with a credit card living in the US) and it would work. I don't know if they have the courage to do it but direct VoIP marketing will find it's place. MGM has furthermore the potential to use their platform for other stuff they produce so the initial costs may pay off even better.

So say we all.

[senordingdong]

I think MGM paying is a great idea but as was mentioned, they would run the risk of not getting their money back, nevermind making a profit.
But at the same time, there's the otherside of the arguement which Sci Fi put against MGM, and MGM had no re-buttle.
Sci Fi said that they have to pay more and more every year for the Sg-1 license. That's clearly MGM's fault.

[Actionhank]

What type of budget would MGM be willing to give SG? Will cast and crew contracts allow for them to do this? How are they going to lure an investor in to giving the chunk of change that Sci Fi has when there’s no guarantee against pirating? How will it affect DVD sales? And what US network would pay for the rights to air the episodes after it’s been released on the internet?

All questions MGM would have to seriously consider.

I agree with you but to my mind there is no difference from releasing it on the internet on a legal way for all people over the world for a reasonable price(at least that way they get some cash out of it) or on an illegal way (as it is now the case). The point is many people like to stay up to date. That's the reason they do illegal downloads. They may be willing to pay for it but simply can't get it at all or just in a year or so.

[The Ori]

Yeh there is a possibily of MGM not being able to get there money back, with their deals with a TV nework they know that the money is there, but doing it independantly they would not know.

But I would love to see this or even another network like a canadian one or even Sky in my UK buying the rights!! So it can continue

[Oreo]

Wouldn't they need at least 40 million to make a season?

[ReganX]

I agree with you but to my mind there is no difference from releasing it on the internet on a legal way for all people over the world for a reasonable price(at least that way they get some cash out of it) or on an illegal way (as it is now the case). The point is many people like to stay up to date. That's the reason they do illegal downloads. They may be willing to pay for it but simply can't get it at all or just in a year or so.

One problem I see with charging for episode downloads is that there's nothing to stop a group of friends clubbing together and paying for one season pass between them. If episodes can be downloaded onto a hard drive or blank DVD, sharing them becomes even easier.

They can charge, but they can't guarantee that only one person will be watching for each payment.

[ReganX]

Wouldn't they need at least 40 million to make a season?

I think that's about what it costs to make a season but wouldn't actually setting up and maintaining a website for the downloads add even more to the cost?

[Carl]

It is something MGM are carefully considering. I'd imagine they've been doing the sums, pursuing different options and thinking about new ways of getting sg-1 out there practically for a number of weeks now.

The question is whether, when all the sums are done, MGM can justify it or whether they'll have to reconsider SG-1's future [movie etc.]

[Wraith_Hunter]

There is already a dozen threads regarding this already.

I'm not going to put evertything in that I have done before.

So to cut it short, they won't be doing it because of these reasons:

1. iTunes, Amazon Unbox are only available to US customers, so Non-US viewers are currently unable to download the latest eps. If they did convince these sites to change their policy, it wouldn't make any difference. The only licensing sustem available for media protection is Windows DRM which is what is used on the forementioned sites.

Therefore being that broadcastsers pay the licensing fees up front, MGM gets it's money back. Through online distribution, it doesn't have that luxury. Therefore will rely solely on legal downloads. So come the end of the season it's need a couple of million purchasers per week to even break even.

Do you think that will happen when the licensing protection system can be removed from the files in a matter of seconds. What's to stop someone from getting it, remove the protection. Then upload it toa sharing site, Hundreds of thousands of viewers, perhaps even millions worldwide will be able to get the ep for free. How many do you think would pay when they can get it free..Very few is what I'd guestimate!

The logistics are simple, every illegal download will cost them. Most likely a lot of viewers are kids who cannot afford to pay a few dollars per week anyhow. Even if their pocket money allowed it, they wouldn't have a CC to pay for it etc.

Going online they would be lucky to break even at the end of the year. If they offer them in great quality like Amazon, what's to stop people from putting them on DVD, which will affect DVD Sales as well. Those who get the Sci-Fi rips probably only get DVD's because the Sci-Fi rips are only good for viewing on a small pc monitor etc. Do you think MGM will pay oput $30/40 million for a season which they probably won't make much profit back. Broadcatsers don't make things because they like to make fans happy, they do it for fincancial gains.

As much as I hate to think & print this...SG-1 has ran it's course for MGM now, there is no incentive for them to continue. They want money, so their attention I bet is already turning to Dean Devlin & the 2 rumoured Stargate sequels.

SG-1 will end next year, Atlamtis will most likely go out at the end of S4, or S5 max. If they could bring in a fresh team of writers, I'm sure the franchise could be revived but I seriously doubt that will happen though. So I bet in the next 2 years or so, there will be no Gate shows left on tv any longer.

[ToasterOnFire]

Yeah, I don't see SciFi or MGM releasing internet-only episodes of SG1. I don't think there would be enough people willing to d/l and/or advertisers willing to pay to stick their names in the eps to make it profitable. Not to mention how quickly internet eps will be ripped and uploaded to torrents, reducing potential profits even more.

Direct to DVD episodes would probably stand to make better profits, though I don't think that's likely either.

[ParadoxRealities]

The point is many people like to stay up to date. That's the reason they do illegal downloads. They may be willing to pay for it but simply can't get it at all or just in a year or so.

how do you know that? why would they pay if they didn't have to? note, i'm not saying everyone in the world is corrupt and pirates, but there's no proof that people wouldn't pirate if they could get it at the same time by paying.

It is something MGM are carefully considering.

really? seems to me like it's a very good way to loose a whole lot of money relatively quickly. i'd like to see how MGM sees it. link please?

[Elles]

Problems aside...

If you want MGM to consider it, write to them.

[ReganX]

Yeah, I don't see SciFi or MGM releasing internet-only episodes of SG1. I don't think there would be enough people willing to d/l and/or advertisers willing to pay to stick their names in the eps to make it profitable. Not to mention how quickly internet eps will be ripped and uploaded to torrents, reducing potential profits even more.

Direct to DVD episodes would probably stand to make better profits, though I don't think that's likely either.

Direct to DVD episodes would probably do better than selling downloads, but in the long run it'd cost them - how many channels would be willing to pay for the rights to Season Eleven if everybody had already seen it?

For the other seasons, they stand to make money through syndication, airings abroad and DVDs. If Season Eleven goes straight to DVD, it could negatively impact their earnings from syndication and airings in other countries.