After weeks of speculation about the future of Star Trek: Discovery’s international availability on Netflix, global fans’ fears have come true today as the bad news has just dropped out of subspace.
 
In a well-known financial agreement, Netflix took on international distribution rights for the series back in 2016 as the streamer partnered in funding production on the show — but as ViacomCBS seeks to expand the reach of their Paramount+ streaming service around the world, the time for Star Trek: Discovery at Netflix has come to an end after three seasons.
 

Reported by Deadline today, ViacomCBS has paid off all Netflix-related financial commitments, and the series will be leaving Netflix in all international regions this week — ahead of Discovery’s Season 4 premiere in the United States and Canada — and will not be returning to international territories until 2022.

As Deadline reports:

Discovery will be leaving [Netflix] as of midnight tonight. In a just closed deal between ViacomCBS and Netflix, the Shari Redstone controlled company has paid off the lucrative financial arrangement that launched Discovery back in 2017. With the top tier IP fully back in the fold, the plan is for Discovery to take flight on Paramount+ around the globe starting next year.

 

The likes of the UK, Germany, Ireland, Austria and Switzerland will be among the first markets to stream Discovery on Paramount+ of the more than 20 countries the platform is available in outside of North America. ViacomCBS has said that as part of an accelerated expansion they anticipate being in around 45 markets within the next year or so – and, of course, a high-profile brand like Star Trek will lead that charge.

 

…

 

“As we rapidly expand our global streaming footprint, we are bringing more of our top titles home to ViacomCBS for Paramount+ markets around the world,” ViacomCBS Networks International streaming boss Kelly Day told Deadline today.

 

“We have a strong global and local content pipeline that positions us for success across our regions, and repatriating beloved series like Star Trek: Discovery for Paramount+ is another step forward as we bring fans more must-watch series worldwide.”

Reporting indicates that neither Discovery’s availability in Canada (on CTV SciFi and Crave), or Amazon’s international distribution of Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Lower Decks will be impacted by today’s news.

Fans in Europe and the other impacted regions will now need to wait an unspecified number of months for Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Prodigy to be available — and to somehow avoid spoilers set to flood the internet — as the shows continue to air new episodes in the United States and Canada.

The following was also released on Paramount+ social media feeds shortly after the news broke:

Due to the extremely last-minute announcement on this situation — coming just 2 days before the Season 4 premiere — it’s likely that negotiations between Netflix and ViacomCBS were still ongoing up until this week. Otherwise, it’s certain that such impactful news would have been shared publicly earlier.

Here’s hoping this Paramount+ expansion gets rolling quickly — because while in the end, having fewer places for Star Trek to call “home” will be easier on viewers around the world… in the meantime, it’s a real pain in the ass.

Star Trek: Discovery returns for its fourth season November 18 on Paramount+ in the United States and on CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada — and for everyone else… your guess is as good as ours.