# How fast do they syndicate new shows? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-they-syndicate-new-shows/602599 "2011-11-11T15:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-they-syndicate-new-shows/602599/1 "2011-11-11T15:14:00Z")
I’ve got USA on right now and they are showing a House episode from less then two weeks ago. They have on ‘Risky Business’ which first aired on October 31. I thought that they waited a year or so to have new episodes in syndication. Is this just something they do for House, or are they doing this with a lot of shows now a days? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-they-syndicate-new-shows/602599/2 "2011-11-11T15:41:07Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > I’ve got USA on right now and they are showing a House episode from less then two weeks ago. They have on ‘Risky Business’ which first aired on October 31. > > I thought that they waited a year or so to have new episodes in syndication. Is this just something they do for House, or are they doing this with a lot of shows now a days? I know its been done with House for the last couple of seasons - and it’s regularly scheduled, so that Monday’s new episode on Fox is shown on USA 11 days later. I think there were a couple of other network shows that did the same thing, but I can’t think of which. I don’t think it’s really syndication (which usually involves episodes being offered to multiple stations) but more of an attempt to imitate cable scheduling, where a new episode of a cable series is broadcast multiple times. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-they-syndicate-new-shows/602599/3 "2011-11-11T16:00:51Z")
That’s not syndication, that’s a rebroadcasting agreement. Syndication is when your local CBS affiliate is airing House at 4 in the afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-they-syndicate-new-shows/602599/4 "2011-11-11T16:25:54Z")
Nowadays, there are agreements with cable networks to rebroadcast the show a few days after it originally airs. It’s a way to increase audience and have live viewers instead of people DVRing the show. Syndication is usually involved in creating a package of shows. In general, about 100 is the goal, and once a show hits four seasons, the package is sold (sometimes, before). But a syndicated show doesn’t air until after all network reruns of the season have aired. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-they-syndicate-new-shows/602599/5 "2011-11-11T17:17:34Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > But a syndicated show doesn’t air until after all network reruns of the season have aired. Not necessarily. There are lots of first-run syndicated shows out there. [Star Trek: The Next Generation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation#Syndication_and_ratings) was syndicated from day one, and its success led to a number of other such shows. The infamous “Baywatch” was cancelled by NBC after one season but ran another 9 years in first-run syndication. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-do-they-syndicate-new-shows/602599/6 "2011-11-11T18:25:25Z")
You’re right; I was referring to the OP, which was about the syndication of network shows. There are hundreds of first-run syndicated shows out there, though most are reality shows like Judge Judy. The days of first-run syndicated dramas, though, seem to be past, since there are few stations willing to air them.