The global distribution of Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) TV shows has inevitably been affected by the rapid expansion of streaming platforms. Once considered a niche, Sci-Fi shows now enjoy widespread popularity among audiences around the world and that has led to continued investment from a variety of commissioners over the years. Show Tracker reveals the how prevalent streamers have become in the Sci-Fi space.
Marquee franchises like ‘Star Wars’ for Disney and ‘Star Trek’ for Paramount are major contributors to the large number of Studio SVOD commissions. Pay TV services such as AMC, HBO and Syfy have also kept up a reasonable commissioning pace, with the the latter specialising in Sci-Fi content as part of the channel’s brand. The likes of Netflix and Amazon have become some of the most active commissioners recently to great success. Netflix Original ‘3 Body Problem’ became the most viewed show on Netflix globally in its first week of release, while Amazon Original ‘Fallout’ saw similar success, becoming the most viewed title in the US and Germany during its debut month.
Action TV shows like ‘Fallout’ are the most popular form of Sci-Fi which overwhelmingly favour dramas over comedies, with Action making up over half of Sci-Fi dramas, and Animation accounting for almost three-quarters of the slim number of Sci-Fi comedies. Only a third of commissioned Sci-Fi content since the 19/20 season has been derived as an original concept, showing the reliance of this genre on established IP such as literature (e.g. ‘3 Body Problem’) or video games (e.g. ‘Fallout’).
Analysing some of the highest-rated Sci-Fi TV shows reveals that acquiring top Sci-Fi content in the first window is challenging due to various D2C strategies.
Series are most likely to be either tied to a global SVOD as part of their commission (e.g. ‘Fallout’ and ‘Silo’ on Amazon and Apple respectively) or promised to a distributor’s own streaming service (‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ and ‘Futurama’ on Paramount+ and Disney+ respectively). ‘Resident Alien’ was made available to some local buyers in the first window, but NBCU’s own Syfy channel was prioritised in multiple markets. Meanwhile ‘The Last of Us’ premiered on either Max or recipients of volume deals from Warner.
Despite these challenges for local buyers when attempting to acquire Sci-Fi, there are some series that have yet to premiere across multiple international markets.
The majority of these shows come from distributors that lack a D2C strategy and notably are original concepts, rather than trading in a world with an already existing (and likely very passionate) fanbase. It does demonstrate the availability of Sci-Fi to local buyers, provided they are willing to take a larger risk on a new IP.
The inevitable growth in streamer commissioned Sci-Fi series has made SVOD the most likely home for Sci-Fi in the US and abroad, with studio owned IP becoming a natural source of adaptation. While some Sci-Fi may be available to third-parties to acquire, the most coveted franchises remain locked up on SVOD platforms or in volume deals for the foreseeable future. A demand for new IP in Sci-Fi may yet grow from audiences however. The high viewing figures attached to both ‘Fallout’ and ‘3 Body Problem’ for instance demonstrate an audience far broader than simply diehard fans of their source material. Local buyers may yet find great success if they choose to licence wholly original Sci-Fi series from the many distributors now out in the market selling them.
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