'Star Trek: Discovery' Premiere Breaks Record; Fans Flock to CBS All Access For Subscriptions After Shocking Debut
The much-awaited premiere of "Star Trek: Discovery" kicked off in the right gear last Sunday, Sept. 25. CBS All Access emerged a clear winner as fans in record-breaking numbers flocked to the streaming site to subscribe to the service to watch the show.
CBS All Access won't reveal the exact number of new account sign-ups in public but it reportedly topped the number of subscriptions when the Grammy Awards streamed last February. The platform also enjoyed its best week and month for sign-ups because of the new show.
The first episode of "Star Trek: Discovery" also ran on CBS network and drew 9.6 million viewers, but viewers could only watch the succeeding episodes, as well as the post-show talk program "After Trek," on the streaming platform exclusively.
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The strategy worked for CBS All Access especially since "Star Trek: Discovery" season 1 episode 1 ended with a shocking cliffhanger. Naturally, eager fans wanted to find out its resolution but can only do so via the service.
What is CBS All Access and should the undecided viewer go ahead and sign up?
Like any streaming platform, CBS All Access works on mobile devices and various gadgets like Apple TV, Chromecast, or Roku. New members can enjoy a seven-day trial and the cost of maintaining a monthly subscription is $5.99 for regular streaming or $9.99 for commercial-free shows.
A review about the service on Wired indicate a few technical problems that should hopefully be fixed as streamers grow.
Vanity Fair cited that long-time "Star Trek" fans might not be used to the idea of paying to watch the show but its first two episodes left some intriguing plot points and the death of a likable character that fans cannot ignore. It paved the way for Michael Burnham's (Sonequa Martin-Green) rise as the show's troubled heroine but her story is just beginning.
Viewers outside of U.S. and Canada can watch "Star Trek: Discovery" via Netflix but new episodes won't be out until it has streamed on CBS All Access. There are a total of 13 episodes for season 1.
