DirecTV’s New Strategy: Show Saver

It saved Passions. It saved Friday Night Lights. It almost saved The Riches. And now DirecTV is on the lookout for other shows on the bubble where it can gain exclusive windows as part of a new strategy for its own network, The 101. The satellite provider is looking to not only boost retention, but also to bring in new subscribers in its dogfight with the cable companies and Dish Network. Shanks hopes spending on exclusive airings of shows that have dedicated -- even if relatively small -- audiences might help. “First and foremost is retention,” he said. “But we did some research before we licensed Friday Night Lights and we do feel like there will be some acquisitions because of the show. But who knows? It’s yet to be seen.” A deal like FNL comes with a decent amount of investment, with DirecTV putting up about $12 million. That includes roughly 40% of the production budget, as well as marketing dollars. In return, it gets to show the first 13 episodes of the third season of FNL starting Oct. 1. NBC gets its window after DirecTV’s run is over.
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