Star Trek Is About To Get A Lot Harder To Watch
Fans of Star Trek are not only finding the shows more difficult to watch, but more confusing. But there is some good news.
This article is more than 2 years old
Paramount’s quest to become the only place for Star Trek fans to catch up on the adventures of the crew aboard the USS Enterprise is almost complete. Five classic Star Trek television shows will leave Hulu and Amazon Prime Video in January and be housed on Paramount+ instead. This includes The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise.
Although Netflix still has The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine in its library, as their licensing deals expire, it’s only a matter of time before they move to Paramount+ too. Once the deal is complete the streamer will become the only platform with anything Star Trek-related in its catalog. While it does make things a little difficult from a viewers’ perspective, this type of consolidation has become a trend in the industry. Media companies have started striving for exclusivity with their shows and franchises on their streaming services.
But there is some good news. Star Trek shows will no longer be part of Amazon Prime Video’s subscription service, but this will not affect any digital purchases of Star Trek episodes or seasons, reports Trek Movie. And fans will still be able to buy individual episodes and seasons through Amazon. Moreover, Paramount+ can also be added to the Amazon Prime Channels lineup which makes organizing your viewing super convenient.
While the classic Star Trek series are exiting the streaming service in the United States, ST: Picard will remain on Prime Video for international viewers. Amazon Prime Video will also be streaming season two internationally starting in February, to coincide with its premiere on Paramount+. This is good news for international fans concerned who voiced their disappointment over delayed access to new episodes of Star Trek: Discovery.
The first three seasons of ST: Discovery aired on various services around the world, as the Paramount+ streaming service is not yet available in some territories. With the company planning to expand into more countries in the coming year, the creators of the popular Star Trek series said the new season would not be available until Paramount+ was launched in those new locations.
However, the streamer decided to scrap their original plans and make Star Trek: Discovery available to fans around the world. An announcement was made on the official Star Trek website which said, “To all of the International Star Trek: Discovery fans – we hear you. We love this series too. We love it for the incredible cast, the hardworking crew, the imaginative storytelling, the groundbreaking, diverse characters, and what it represents to so many people around the world.”
Star Trek: Discovery chronicles the voyages of Starfleet on their mission to discover new worlds and new life-forms. Set approximately ten years before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series, season one sees the Klingon houses join forces in a war with the United Federation of Planets that heavily involves the crew of the USS Discovery. After the war has ended in season two, the story focuses on seven mysterious signals and a strange figure known as the “Red Angel”. This conflict ends with Starfleet traveling to the 32nd century.
ST: Discovery season four premiered on the Paramount+ streaming service on November 18, 2021. Including Discovery, there are now various shows in the franchise, namely ST: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Picard, ST: Short Treks, and the adult animated series ST: Lower Decks.
