Microsoft May Bring 'Halo' Series To Showtime Before It Airs On Xbox
Leading Microsoft's MSFT -1.05% big original content push is their live-action Halo series, produced by Steven Spielberg and greenlit after the positive reaction to Halo 4′s promo webisodes, Forward Unto Dawn. But now it seems the show might have enough clout to make it to traditional TV after all.
Variety is reporting that Microsoft is “deep in negotiations” with Showtime to bring their Halo series to the pay channel. The details are still being worked out, but supposedly as it stands right now, Halo episodes would air on Showtime first, and Xbox second.
This is…odd, given the fact that the entire point of Microsoft investing in shows like Halo was to show that they could produce original content, skipping the traditional TV model. If Halo airs on Showtime first, then Xbox is essentially just getting reruns of its own original show.
Still, the press and money attached to landing a show on a channel as prominent as Showtime might be worth this kind of sacrifice. Showtime has been responsible for massive TV hits like Dexter, Weeds and Homeland, and with two out of three of those off the air (and the third going a bit bonkers, if you ask me), they’re searching for a new breakthrough. Maybe Halo is it.
There’s been a distinct lack of space-based science fiction on TV these days, with sci-fi relegated to mostly Earthbound concepts like Orphan Black, Continuum, Almost Human, Revolution and so on. There’s no more Star Trek, no Firefly, no Battlestar Galactica. The only real space-themed shows are TNT’s Falling Skies and eternal TV staple, Doctor Who. Halo could change that, and with its worldwide brand appeal, it would have more going for it than most other potential shows in the genre.
Still, I have to wonder what the future holds for Microsoft’s Xbox TV ambitions. There have been rumors of other series like Gears of War, Fable and Forza being turned into TV shows down the line. Would those all be shopped around to traditional TV, or is Microsoft going to refocus on making the Xbox itself the go-to destination for their own programming?
I think a Showtime deal could work out well for everyone, however. Partnering with the channel would give the team extra cash and prestige. Showtime would get arguably the hottest new sci-fi show on TV, and something to round out its roster alongside Homeland, Masters of Sex and its other offerings. Xbox players without a Showtime subscription would still get access to the show, as presumably the delay wouldn’t be anything too major (I’d guess absolutely no more than a week). That’s a win-win-win across Microsoft, Showtime and viewers on both TV and Xbox.
Still unclear is Microsoft’s long term dream about the Xbox One becoming a go-to destination for TV. Working with Showtime to bring a Halo show to TV is great, but it’s not exactly changing the model when all is said and done. Rather, if Halo had premiered on Xbox One itself and started putting up viewership numbers in the millions without the aid of TV at all, that really would have been something to sit up and take notice of. That still may happen down the line, but for now it appears Microsoft wants the comforts of old school media to ensure Halo gets the most exposure it possibly can. In this case, it might be in the best interest of everyone.
