In a move that has surprised fans, Paramount Studios has removed Star Trek: Discovery from Netflix services globally with immediate effect.
The change comes after an announcement on social media that Star Trek: Discovery would be exclusive to Paramount+, the company’s premium streaming service. The fourth series of the show had been due to premiere on November 18 in the United States and Canada, with the show available a day later via Netflix globally. According to the official announcement, those broadcasts in the US and Canada will still go ahead.
Fans outside the US & Canada will now have to wait until at least 2022 when Paramount+ is set to launch internationally. ViacomCBS, Paramount’s parent company, confirmed the initial launch will see 20 countries – including the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Austria – included in the first wave, with additional countries being added throughout 2022. However, no set date has been confirmed for the Paramount+ launch.
The sudden shift in broadcasting, and immediate removal of the show from Netflix, has angered Star Trek fans across the globe. Several took to the show’s streaming Twitter and Instagram pages to vent their frustration at the change and the short notice of the announcement, with some even stating they would look for pirated versions of episodes to avoid key plot spoilers.
Some comments also pointed out that Star Trek: Discovery cast members Mary Wiseman (Ensign Sylvia Tilly) and Wilson Cruz (Dr Hugh Culber) had been at a Star Trek convention in London last weekend to promote the show and give fans a taste of what they can expect from the fourth season.
Reacting to the news of the move, Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp took to Twitter to share his own frustration about the sudden move. In a Twitter thread the actor wrote “We cast members just found out about this as well, & we share your disappointment & frustration.”. In the thread, Rapp also talked about his experiences meeting fans around the world and how he wished the cast had been able to help to notify fans about the change had they known ahead of the announcement.
Rapp ended the thread by expressing love and gratitude to Star Trek fans on behalf of all the cast.
This move has also caused fans to speculate about the future of other Star Trek shows. Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks are both currently on Amazon Prime internationally with the latest project, Star Trek: Prodigy, set to be available on Nickelodeon’s YouTube channel. No announcements have been made regarding those shows moving to Paramount+ outside of North America at this time.
Words by Megan Roxburgh
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