Why does it say on Netflix that "Star Trek: Discovery" is a Netflix original series?

Question

Everyone knows about relationship between Star Trek: Discovery and CBS network (All Access service inclusive). Here's first two sentences on the series' Wikipedia page:

Star Trek: Discovery is an American television series created for CBS All Access by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. It is the first series developed specifically for that service, and the first Star Trek series since Star Trek: Enterprise concluded in 2005.

But, I watch the TV series on Netflix (available on Netflix at least in India). Fine. Partnerships can happen. What's troubling me is this:

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In the beginning of each episode, it shows "A Netflix original series".

Why does Netflix do that? Is this even legally allowed?

Does "A Netflix Original Series" actually have any real meaning? It just reads to me as an original series being shown on Netflix. You could infer that they created it but I'm not sure that's the intended implication. I'm sure NF have a battery of legal opinions on it. — Paulie_D, Jan 29 '18 at 13:23
@Paulie_D Typically if Netflix shows this, it means it was a series they funded and it's usually a Netflix exclusive. I haven't seen it used in any other way since it's their method of showing off "hey, we made this" to their general audiences. I'm curious to know whether this is a weird glitch, a mistake, or something else, to be honest. — Pleiades, Jan 29 '18 at 13:24
Wikipedia "These television shows, even though Netflix lists them as Netflix originals, are shows that have been aired in different countries, and Netflix has bought exclusive distribution rights to stream them in other various countries. They may be available on Netflix in their home territory and other markets where Netflix does not have the first run license, without the Netflix Original label, some time after their first-run airing on their original broadcaster." — Paulie_D, Jan 29 '18 at 13:26
@Paulie_D: “It just reads to me as an original series being shown on Netflix” — as opposed to an... unoriginal series being shown on Netflix? — Paul D. Waite, Jan 29 '18 at 13:46
@Pleiades “I haven't seen it used in any other way” — I sure have. In the UK, at least The Good Place and Better Call Saul are billed on Netflix as Netflix Originals, despite being funded and produced by other organisations. — Paul D. Waite, Jan 29 '18 at 13:49
@Bat What’s troubling me is that I see the same thing in the UK, but with a different, more Star Trek: Discovery-ish font. Why the different fonts in different markets, damnit. — Paul D. Waite, Jan 29 '18 at 13:49
@PaulD.Waite I took this image from Google. The one which Netflix shows on Discovery episode has a white background. — user931, Jan 29 '18 at 14:33
@Evorlor No it doesn't, it's about a Science-Fiction work, so it's squarely on-topic here. Not to mention a better fit. And yes, we do like Behind-the-scenes and fandom information here. — Möoz, Jan 31 '18 at 02:29
Doesn't it just mean that it is a series whose original run in the country where you are viewing it through Netflix is on Netflix? — ThePopMachine, Mar 08 '18 at 16:49

score 78 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 29 '18 at 13:28

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Netflix also uses that label for anything they have exclusive distribution rights for in your area. Other examples for my area (US) include some anime like "Little Witch Academia" and other foreign shows like the Norwegian show "Nobel".

answered Jan 29 '18 at 13:28

Harabeck

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This is not the reason in this case, please see my answer. The reason is that Netflix funded the production of Discovery. – Hans Olo Jan 29 '18 at 13:29
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@Loki: I think you’ve misinterpreted “paid for” here. As far as I know, they didn’t pay enough in licensing fees for The Good Place or Better Call Saul to cover those show’s budgets, and yet they bill them as Netflix Originals in the UK, where they have exclusive rights to them. – Paul D. Waite Jan 29 '18 at 13:55
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@Loki: If what Harabeck said is true then that means your answer is wrong if anything... If a more general rule like this fits then you don't need a special case for just this one show. It would be like if I asked you to "give me all numbers divisible by 2 and you said "all even numbers and the number 4". The latter part is unnecessary as it is already covered by the more general part. – Chris Jan 29 '18 at 16:06
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https://www.cnet.com/news/netpicks-everything-you-need-to-know-about-netflix-originals/ is an example of a web page supporting this explanation. – Chris Jan 29 '18 at 16:07
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@Loki In both cases, Netflix is paying money for distribution rights. – Ghoti and Chips Jan 29 '18 at 19:24
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Supporting answer from Anime.SE for this: What makes Little Witch Academia a Netflix original series? – Andrew T. Jan 30 '18 at 02:55
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Shiny – Möoz Jan 31 '18 at 02:31

score 42 · Answer 2 · edited Jan 29 '18 at 19:27

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The reason why they say it's a Netflix original series is that Netflix has indeed retroactively paid for the production of Star Trek: Discovery, after it was produced independently by CBS, as detailed in the article by Trek Today:

According to CBS Corporation’s Les Moonves, Netflix has paid for the entire production budget of Star Trek: Discovery. Netflix will be airing the series outside of the U.S. and Canada.

“Netflix just took it off the table for the rest of the world,” said Moonves. “Basically, Star Trek is going on CBS All Access for free.”

edited Jan 29 '18 at 19:27

Obsidia

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answered Jan 29 '18 at 13:27

Hans Olo

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Wikipedia page needs an update.. Currently, Netflix word is nowhere to be found. – user931 Jan 29 '18 at 13:35
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It is mentioned in the 3rd paragraph of the "Development" Section: "Also in July, CBS Studios International licensed the series to Netflix for release outside the United States and Canada,[35] a "blockbuster" deal that paid for the show's entire budget (around US$6–7 million per episode)." – Hans Olo Jan 29 '18 at 13:36
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“Netflix has indeed paid for the production of Star Trek: Discovery” — isn’t that more in the sense that “they’ve paid as much to license it as CBS spent on making it”, as opposed to actually putting up the production money, or having any creative ownership of the show? – Paul D. Waite Jan 29 '18 at 13:51
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I'm sure this is the best answer and has my vote. I wanted to comment to note that I don't understand what the "back and" and the "front end" are in this context. Basically the quotes by Moonves are very confusing to me. – Todd Wilcox Jan 29 '18 at 14:59
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@PaulD.Waite How more clear than "Netflix has paid for the entire production budget" do you want??? – Hans Olo Jan 29 '18 at 15:23
@ToddWilcox No problem, I'll edit them out as I agree they distract from the issue at hand. – Hans Olo Jan 29 '18 at 15:23
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@Loki paying for something does not implicitly mean they created it. Paying for the production budget could have been retroactive, after the actual creation. It could mean they were actually involved in the creation. It could mean anything in between. THAT is what's unclear. I think it's most likely that they paid retroactively, and were not involved in production; more like a publishing house than a production firm. – Jan 29 '18 at 15:39
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Oh, i missed your comment. That's pretty clear proof that they didn't produce it, just paid afterwards. "Licenced the series to Netflix" – Jan 29 '18 at 15:44
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Definition of licensed: "authorize the use, performance, or release of". So CBS, the creators and copyright holders, have authorized Netflix to use (in this case, distribute) Star Trek: Discovery, for a cost equal to the production budget. – Jan 29 '18 at 16:07
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Good guy Netflix; pays for the entire show so you can watch it for free. – Möoz Jan 29 '18 at 23:20
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@Loki: I don’t think it’s unclear, but I think you’re wrong about what it means. Say you spend a million dollars building a hotel, the Loki Palace. Then Netflix says hey, we want to use your entire hotel for the next five years, just for our staff to stay in, and we’ll give you a million dollars for the privilege. Is your hotel suddenly a Netflix Original Hotel? – Paul D. Waite Jan 30 '18 at 09:52
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And for a more concrete point, I don’t think paying enough in licensing fees to cover the production budget is what determines whether something is described as a Netflix Original or not, which is what your answer currently implies. – Paul D. Waite Jan 30 '18 at 09:54
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That's an interesting use of the word original. They could say, "Original, a Netflix original word". – Octopus Jan 30 '18 at 22:14
@Octopus: It was originally distributed by netflix. That seems like a reasonable use of the word. – Chris Jan 31 '18 at 10:25
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@Chris: That sounds as if in Germany, Star Trek: TOS should be labeled "A ZDF original series", because ZDF happened to be the first tv channel to show Star Trek. Neither did they create it, nor do they still have any broadcast rights to it nowadays, but they are undoubtedly the first to "distribute" (as in, provide access to) it in this location. I don't think that's what audiences would associate with the label "original", though - especially as Netflix does actually create some shows itself. – O. R. Mapper Jan 31 '18 at 13:05
@O.R.Mapper: I see where you're coming from but its no worse than a lot of other stuff tv stations claim. I've seen channels advertising the premier of 20 year old films because its the first time they have shown it. Its marketing, its full of this kind of thing. – Chris Jan 31 '18 at 13:10

Why does it say on Netflix that "Star Trek: Discovery" is a Netflix original series?

2 Answers2