As Outlander prepares for UK television debut, what are implications?

Tomorrow is an enormous one for Outlander and its legacy on UK television; for the first time shockingly ever, it will have a home! Station More4 is going to broadcast the show weekly starting with the first season, and this will give some viewers a chance to check out the Caitriona Balfe – Sam Heughan series without having to go to Amazon to make it happen.

As we await this big premiere, there is one primary question to wonder: What are the implications here? What does this airing mean for the show both in the UK and the rest of the world?

The business side – For any show, money makes the world go round. It helps the studio feel encouraged that they’ve got a great thing on their hands, which makes them want to continue to make more of it. For Outlander, these UK airings mean more money for Sony Pictures TV as it looks to continue the series. This could mean a continued effort to create ambitious and authentic sets, and help to give it a longer life. While we weren’t concerned about the future of Outlander before the More4 pickup, the show having more financial support via licensing never hurt anyone.

The joy of discovery – Many people who read our Outlander coverage (we are certainly grateful to all of you, by the way) are already diehard fans of the show and would purchase it / watch it anywhere. The More4 move seems designed more to bring on board new fans who may have heard about the show but declined to spend extra money on it. If these viewers all get hooked, that’s more people in the community and that’s never a bad thing.

The relationship between joy and business – Here is where the intersection between the two happens. Not only are More4 viewers more likely to buy episodes via Amazon in the future, they’re more likely to purchase products related to the show or Diana Gabaldon’s books. For shows like this, merchandising is an essential part of the show, and it cannot be ignored when it comes to its overall success.

If you love Outlander in the UK, even if you’ve seen it before, obviously there is still a benefit to watching all of the episodes on More4. If you’re going to watch them anyway, we not let a new network know how much you enjoy it.

Remember, you can head over to the link here in the event you do want to secure some further news right now when it comes to Outlander! (Photo: Starz.)