International audiences will no longer be able to watch Star Trek: Discovery on Netflix, with the show intended to release internationally on Paramount+ - and it's a massive blow for fans. Star Trek: Discovery was originally seen as something of a gamble for CBS, exclusively available on the CBS All Access streaming service in the United States. But, because CBS All Access wasn't available overseas, the network struck a deal with Netflix for international distribution. As is often the case in such deals, Netflix agreed to co-finance the production, and in the case of Star Trek: Discovery, they reportedly paid its entire budget. Since then, Netflix has been the exclusive home of Star Trek: Discovery for international audiences.
But the streaming industry has changed significantly over the last few years, and Star Trek: Discovery now airs on Paramount+ in the U.S. ViacomCBS and Netflix have reached an agreement that saw Netflix surrender its rights to distribute the show, ahead of Paramount+'s global expansion next year. That means Star Trek: Discovery is being removed from Netflix with immediate effect; apparently ViacomCBS is particularly targeting the U.K., Germany, Ireland, Austria and Switzerland as part of its 2022 expansion. It's disappointing news for the fans, with Star Trek: Discovery warping off of Netflix just days before the expected arrival of season 4.
The timing couldn't possibly be worse for international fans of Star Trek: Discovery. They believed they were only days away from beginning to watch season 4 - and now they've been told they won't get to see it until some time in 2022. Making matters even more frustrating, if they actually want to watch Star Trek: Discovery they'll need to subscribe to another streaming service when it eventually rolls out. No doubt ViacomCBS is hoping lighting will strike twice - the original CBS All Access release in the U.S. was seen as high-risk, but paid off with record subscribers. But their logic is flawed, because in pulling the show from Netflix at such short notice they've burned any sense of goodwill among fans.
International viewers will find it almost impossible to avoid spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery, especially given the unspecified length of time before they're going to be able to watch it. The best comparison is with The Mandalorian season 1, which released in the United States ahead of Disney+'s overseas launch; international viewers knew about Grogu within hours of the first episode's release, and the same problem will undermine Star Trek: Discovery season 4. The Mandalorian was the most-pirated show of 2020, beating even Game of Thrones, and it's highly likely overseas viewers will take to pirating the Star Trek series as well. While many people who pirated The Mandalorian subsequently subscribed to Disney+, there's no reason to assume they will do the same for Paramount+ in what has become an even more competitive streaming market, especially given the abrupt and ill-considered way Star Trek: Discovery has been pulled from Netflix.
ViacomCBS is trying to put a positive spin on things, but in reality this is a bad move - both for the fans and, oddly, for the international rollout of Paramount+ itself. Star Trek is clearly supposed to stand at the center of Paramount+'s film and TV offering, just as Star Wars does for Disney+, but the company has just managed to anger its entire fanbase. They would have been far wiser to hold off until after Star Trek: Discovery season 4, and then strike this deal with Netflix. The international expansion of Paramount+ would have been a little less spectacular - but it also wouldn't have disappointed the fans so badly.