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RiffTrax.com Offers MST3K EpisodesRiffTrax has begun something called “MST3K Mondays,” where they will offer episodes of MST3K for about $10. These versions will include a new introduction by Mike. They started it off this week with “The Pumaman” and “The Final Sacrifice.”
Well, there are lots of places you can get episodes of the show, so, want a good reason (beyond Mike’s intros) to get them at Rifftrax.com? In an mass email, they noted:
63 Replies to “RiffTrax.com Offers MST3K Episodes”Commenting at Satellite News
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:music:
My first Danzig CD. Still a good one.
So will RT only be releasing episodes from the Sci Fi era? I saw a tweet from Trace stating that he and Frank weren’t benefitting from the RT release of the episodes, so I was wondering if that was the plan.
I would imagine it will cover the episodes that Bill/Trace/Kevin did together which in another words are the Sci-Fi episodes. (Although I suppose season 7 where Bill wrote but didn’t perform is also possibility.) But the reason Trace and Frank see none of the Rifftrax money isn’t because they didn’t appear in the episode. It’s because the Rifftrax people are profiting from the added value (the new introduction) which they provide. Suppose Rifftrax releases episode 101 with a new intro in which only Kevin had something to do with the original production. Trace and Frank still wouldn’t profit from that particular release. And technically Mike/Bill/Kevin still aren’t getting royalties/residuals from these Rifftrax releases. They are getting the profit of the sale as the vendor/distributor. As far as royalties go that would again go to Joel/Jim (if he hasn’t been bought out and that is unclear at this point.) At least that is my understanding. Feel free to correct me if you are a legal eagle type with more knowledge than I.
I believe that, as a vendor (or associate or whatever the correct term is) the RiffTrax crew would also get a cut of the sales simply because it’s a sale form their Website. Kinda like being am Amazon affiliate.
Now, I’m not disputing anything about them getting paid for the new intros. I’m simply suggesting that if they didn’t do intros, they would get some commission regardless.
You know how Sampo has the links in the sidebar here on Satellite News? It’s not simply a link to some content in Amazon. It also include Sampo’s affiliate ID, which allows commission on the sale to be recorded. Not much, but every penny helps.
That’s why, if you’re just in the mood to buy something from Amazon, use a link here, if possible. You’re supporting Sampo and Satellite News when you to that.
We now return you to your comments section, already in progress.
Very true. The new intro is the bait to get you to double dip since the bulk of Rifftrax fans probably already own the Shout! release of the episode.
Not sure why anyone would bother to double dip at all on these. While the RT deal is good news and I’m happy that at least a few other people will finally get to profit from the show after their hard work (hoping that Trace and Frank will finally get a cut somehow at some point), they have to do a better than Mike just giving a general 5-10 second summary of what the episode is about if I’m going to purchase any of the digital versions on RT and that also goes for any episodes I may not have physical copies of. Or am I missing something and you get a longer intro of some kind after you download the episode?
MOAR SELLING POINT:
I fixed that annoying pop that is in the ‘The Final Sacrifice’ dvd release. No more bleeding ears.
The intro section to The Final Sacrifice is, from pressing play to the MST3K episode starting, 43 seconds. That includes RiffTrax splash image, fade in, fade out. Actually, around 30 seconds of Mike talking. And, honestly, not enough to encourage anyone who already owns a digital copy to purchase again.
But… if you don’t already own a digital copy, it’s a good way to get a DRM-free copy (as I mentioned back in #17). Which means you aren’t locked in to one playback method. Buy it from iTunes, and you have to play it in an iTunes device. Buy it from Amazon, you have to play it on an Amazon device or in an Amazon app. Buy it from RiffTrax, you can play it on anything.
Now, if they’d just get a Roku app or an iOS/tvOS app.
Nothing much to add, but wanted to say that for all the laughter you guys have given me on these threads, this was a pretty fascinating read. Thanks to all for sharing their knowledge of the situation.
So much for my prediction these releases would be limited to season 7 on ward. This weeks offering is Mitchel.
Not to begrudge Kevin, Mike and Bill their chance to get some money off of the MST3K episodes, but I’m not so sure I agree with the theory that this deal was made specifically FOR the residual-like profits from RT distributing the episodes. Trace, Frank and apparently Mary Jo and Paul (and others I’m probably forgetting at this early hour) aren’t benefiting at all.
Not that I think there’s any animosity because there’s no sign of it, just wondering out loud what exactly this all means.
Again Mike/Kevin/Bill aren’t earning residuals from these releases. They are getting a profit from reselling something they now/newly have the rights to resell. What does this mean for the rest? Nothing. It just means that Mike/Kevin/Bill already have a distribution apparatus in place (aka Rifftrax) by which they can profit from these newly acquired rights and currently people like Trace/Frank/Mary Jo/Paul/etc… do not. In this new era of sharing I suspect if any of the others wanted to do something similar they could.