How would you decide to cancel a TV show?

Case: Cancel/keep/sell a TV series

You are the CEO of a streaming company. You currently produce and distribute a TV series called "Analyst".

Part A — Cancellation decision

You are considering canceling the show.

1. What factors would you evaluate before deciding to cancel vs. renew?
2. What market/competitive considerations (e.g., trends, competitor moves) might change the decision?

Part B — Improve profitability

Assume you decide to keep the show for now.

1. What are the major revenue drivers for a TV series like this?
2. What are the major cost drivers (use common sense; you don’t have the detailed P&L)?
3. Propose levers to increase profit (revenue up and/or cost down).

Part C — Selling the show/IP

You are now considering selling the "Analyst" project/IP to another company.

1. What factors determine whether selling is better than keeping it?
2. What data/analyses would you request to make the recommendation?

Assumptions (state explicitly in your answer)

• Objective is to maximize long-term company value (not just this quarter’s profit).
• If financials are needed, you may use NPV with a reasonable discount rate and scenario analysis.
• “Profitability” should be interpreted as incremental contribution margin attributable to the show (including downstream subscription effects).

Deliverable: Provide a structured framework and the key analyses/metrics you would use to reach a decision.