Online video streaming is the wave of the future. Everyone says so anyway, but most big media companies are taking a "wait and see" approach, mostly out of fear of upsetting already reliable revenue streams. Some Supernatural fans believe the time is now, because the show's sinking network isn't doing much to build viewership and it’s time to try new things.

Support Supernatural this week kicked off a petition drive designed to bring in new viewers for this often under-the-radar show. How is this different from the numerous other fan campaigns that have happened in the last year? Instead of targeting The CW, the petition is asking Warner Brothers Television Group to make season one of Supernatural available for online streaming.

Why Supernatural?

The idea is simple. Supernatural is a cult show with a heavy mytharc that cannot be picked up easily by a casual viewer in its third season. It must be watched from the beginning. Fans have been trying to get friends to watch, but are getting increasingly frustrated by not having easy access to prior episodes. Since many people connect online, loaning out DVD sets isn’t practical when a friend is miles away and these potential viewers certainly aren’t going to buy the DVDs for a show they haven’t seen. Season one also doesn’t air anywhere in form of repeats, nor does season two.

By introducing Supernatural from the beginning via free online streaming, the hope is it will attract new viewers and also get the attention of those who have lost track of the show. Best case scenario — viewers will get interested enough to catch up on season two and three either through Netflix, buying the DVDs or downloading on iTunes, and then there will be a new audience to tune in when new episodes air for season four. Take that logic, along with the announcement from Warner Brothers recently that they are going to beta with The WB.com and would be live by August, and a campaign is born.

Time For Creative Ideas

Times are very rough for networks right now. Ever since scripted shows returned from the strike-induced hiatus, ratings are way down. Many programs are hitting not only season but series lows. While this is bad news for an ABC, CBS, NBC, or FOX, it’s devastating for The CW. This is a network already having major cash flow problems, and many aren’t sure how much longer they can survive.

An interesting issue was raised in an analysis over the ratings declines. Are people still watching these shows, but they’re not watching live? Supernatural is a decent case study on how declining ratings on a struggling network don't necessarily mean that fewer people are watching the show. Look at the history of their Nielsen ratings in the first three seasons. Back in season one, with heavy promotion and buzz, Supernatural started off on The WB with 5.6 million viewers. The top-rated episode of the season was 5.8 million viewers, but somewhere in the middle of season one the show was moved to the impossible timeslot of Thursdays at 9pm from Tuesdays, and ratings at the end of that season sank to 4 million.