Why NBC's rescue of Brooklyn Nine-Nine made business sense

Vulture

The late Friday rescue "wasn’t exactly a no-brainer— but it’s also one of the least risky calls Peacock execs will make this week," says Josef Adalian. As he points out, NBC had the most financially viable option for saving Brooklyn Nine-Nine because it's owned by sister studio Universal Television. "While Brooklyn’s so-so Nielsen ratings mean NBC likely won’t make much (or any) profit selling ad time on the show next season, these new episodes will likely pay for themselves due to the extra money Universal TV will make via its syndication deal with TBS and its streaming agreement with Hulu," he says. While the ratings have been terrible, Brooklyn Nine-Nine still has a passionate fan base, as proven by the internet freakout over its cancelation. As Adalian also points out, NBC is starved for comedies, despite the success of Will & Grace and Superstore. "Adding Brooklyn to the roster won’t transform NBC into a powerhouse, but it’s also not going to prevent the network from finding the big new comedy hits it needs," he says. ALSO: Terry Crews thanks Mark Hamill for using "The Force" to save the show.