# Pitting broadcast networks making only the 5 most recent episodes available online **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 15, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895 "2015-08-15T02:30:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/21 "2015-08-18T13:20:15Z")
The pricing is also insane. I don’t mind paying two bucks an episode to see the last season of Breaking Bad along with everybody else, or Mad Men. Because those are like seven or thirteen episodes of premium TV. I am not, ever, not now, not later, not in a boat, not with a goat, going to spend like fifty bucks to watch a season of Arrow as it airs. That will never happen. That is stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/22 "2015-08-18T15:21:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Sure thing. When would you like me to make that happen? 🙂 I want it all, and I want it now. Simple enough for you? Seriously, I agree with the OP. I also watch TV shows on demand through my cable company, but they seem to only have about 4 episodes available at any given time. You know it’s not due to lack of storage space, so what’s the issue? > [@PastTense](#): > > OP, you don’t remember the good old days: the current episode will be shown once at Wednesday at 9 pm; it will then be rerun in the summer once and then it will be syndicated 4 or 5 years from now where you will have a third chance to see it. But, we’re not in the good old days. We’re not living in the past, or the present, this is the FUTURE! And technology has made it possible to have on-demand viewing. So why can’t providers actually make it available? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/23 "2015-08-19T06:31:25Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > So why can’t providers actually make it available? That’s not the right question. The right question is “why can’t they make it profitable?” As soon as they figure out how to make money from either advertisers or viewers, they’ll change the way they make shows available. The other right question is “how much are you willing to pay per episode?” ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/24 "2015-08-19T07:49:37Z")
[thinkpiece about why availability isn’t straightforward](http://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2015/08/18/432715899/television-2015-with-25-ways-to-watch-tv-does-the-house-always-win) ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/25 "2015-08-19T09:53:51Z")
How did people on the internet become so entitled that they now think they have the right to get every episode of every TV show they want for free ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/26 "2015-08-19T11:17:10Z")
What cracks me up is all the comments (in the comments section of the thinkpiece) about how it’s so hard to reliably watch high quality versions of shows very soon after they air live. Uh, no it’s not. It’s trivially easy. It’s called “cable”, or maybe “satellite.” That’s the whole point. The cost of cutting the cord is the loss of convenience. Once the convenience level of cord cutters rivals cable, that will likely signal the end of this golden era of television. There simply won’t be enough money to keep the machine running any longer. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/27 "2015-08-19T13:33:44Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > How did people on the internet become so entitled that they now think they have the right to get every episode of every TV show they want for free Not for free, I pay for Hulu. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/28 "2015-08-19T14:04:40Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Not for free, I pay for Hulu. Question: Does any of the money you pay Hulu make its way to the makers of the shows you watch? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/29 "2015-08-19T14:15:47Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Question: Does any of the money you pay Hulu make its way to the makers of the shows you watch? How do you think Hulu gets it’s content, if they’re not paying the makers/owners of the shows? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/30 "2015-08-19T14:59:31Z")
And you guys know that the networks show commercials during the online episodes, right? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/31 "2015-08-19T16:25:52Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > That’s not the right question. The right question is “why can’t they make it profitable?” As soon as they figure out how to make money from either advertisers or viewers, they’ll change the way they make shows available. > The other right question is “how much are you willing to pay per episode?” They are making the same money per episode from me if they have 5 episodes available or 500: they usually have unskippable ads. (Also, they get my monthly cable payment.) With more episodes available, the number of times I see their ads would increase. So I am paying for the ability to watch on demand. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/32 "2015-08-19T17:10:07Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > How did people on the internet become so entitled that they now think they have the right to get every episode of every TV show they want for free To hell with ‘free’, I’d settle for the option to _pay them_ money to get every TV show I want. I don’t begrudge copyright holders for not wanting to give away their content, and I’m certainly not above paying them for the privilege. But, I take umbrage at the fact that, for many of the shows I’d be willing to pay for, copyright holders have basically told me, “Fuck you, we don’t want your money. Now, get out of my face.” ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/33 "2015-08-20T01:40:37Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > They are making the same money per episode from me if they have 5 episodes available or 500: they usually have unskippable ads. (Also, they get my monthly cable payment.) With more episodes available, the number of times I see their ads would increase. So I am paying for the ability to watch on demand. Actually, no, they’re not. Just because the ads are unskippable doesn’t mean the rate is the same. Right now, advertisers pay more for an ad on a recently aired show than they do for an older one. That may change someday, perhaps very soon, but it’s not that way now. Back to the other question - how much are _you_ willing to pay per episode? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/34 "2015-08-20T05:18:15Z")
What next? You want pizza delivered by just texting an emoji? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/35 "2015-08-20T15:06:21Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Actually, no, they’re not. Just because the ads are unskippable doesn’t mean the rate is the same. Right now, advertisers pay more for an ad on a recently aired show than they do for an older one. That may change someday, perhaps very soon, but it’s not that way now. > > Back to the other question - how much are _you_ willing to pay per episode? Interesting on the first. I did not know that. On the second, let’s see some scales. Is the fee based on age? Popularity? Studio? Do I own it for this price, or a one-time view? To put it in perspective, I bought the entire run of _Raines_, 7 episodes, for 10 bucks on iTunes. So that’s $1.42 / episode. Yet, I haven’t bought the complete _Search_, 23 episodes for $38, $1.65 / episode. So on the one hand, you could say my price point is below $1.65. But on the other hand, $38 is a lot more than $10, so maybe it’s total cost driving my decision. On the third hand, I know I liked _Raines_, but I haven’t seen _Search_ since it was new. What if it isn’t any good? So the price point has to be lower when the quality is uncertain. If I want to watch an entire run, the cost has to be lower, or it just gets too expensive. Should I pay $1.50 per episode of _The Simpsons_, or _Law and Order_? That could get pricey. Instant video prices on Amazon for a L&O ep is $1.99. But on DVD Season 1 is $19.47 for 22 eps, $0.88 / episode. A much better deal. Season 18 has only 18 episodes, yet costs $23.52 on Amazon for a per-episode price of $1.30. The compete series is 456 episodes, and the complete DVD set is $499, giving $1.09 per. Bottom line, for an top show, like _Star Trek_, I would be willing to pay **up to $1.50 per episode**. For a more MOR show, like say, _The Middle_, I would be willing to pay not more than\*\* 1.00 per episode\*\* to own it outright, or \*\*.50 one time view price\*\*. And that price means no bugs or ads. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/36 "2015-08-20T16:22:25Z")
If advertisers are charging less for older shows, that’s kinda their own stupidity. Hulu has a ton of data on the stuff I would be interested in buying. And they know down to the person how many people have seen an ad. You no longer need to target a specific show in order to reach an audience you hope is interested in your product. There’s no reason to not be paying based on how many people see your commercial. Why the hell are you paying for ads based on the episode instead of ads based on when they actually wind up being shown? Are you actually airing your old commercials? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895/37 "2015-08-20T16:50:34Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Back to the other question - how much are _you_ willing to pay per episode? Let’s start with $2 per 1hr episode. Assume you want to watch 2 hours of TV per day, for your entire household. In addition to $50 or so for internet, you’ll be paying $4 per day, or $120 per month ($170 total) for TV entertainment. Frankly, I consider that a ridiculous amount to spend for 2 hrs of TV per day, for my entire household. Half that amount, $1 per ep, $60/mo ($110 total) is still outrageous considering how little TV you get, overall, and in comparison to a typical TV package where you pay maybe $90/mo including internet. For me, I’d say $1/ep is about the limit. More than that, I see it as practically daring people to pirate the episodes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-broadcast-networks-making-only-the-5-most-recent-episodes-available-online/727895.md?page=1)