Two of the content creators I follow launched their own websites this year. One you might be familiar with–since they took the Kickstarter belt from MST3k–is Critical Role. The other, perhaps lesser know, but you might have seen their videos around, is New Zealand sketch comedy group Viva La Dirt League.
All the way back to the Season 13 KS, I was concerned about the Gizmoplex’s sustainability. I was happy to support s13 (and when it came around s14). But way back in the beginning, I though paying streamer prices for a single season of a single show (per year…as I thought would be the case) would quickly wear thin on the fan base, with nothing else to offer.
To be fair, it turns out I enjoyed experiencing the livestreams (as opposed to just watching new episodes whenever) a lot more than I expected, even the tribute and enhanced episodes. Maybe just forcing myself to join live DID make it feel like more of an event, like they said. Even if I just watched on my own, and didn’t follow along with chat.
But seeing these new services from CR and VLDL pop up just makes me think about what the Gizmoplex COULD have been (and still could be, if a revival ever happens).
Of course MST3K is a bit different than these other two groups. Their content is niche, focused, and high production cost. I’m sure CR has a decent production budget, but even without movie rights, an episode of MST3K probably far outpaces even multiple CR streams. CR also has a pretty well established revenue stream between Twitch subs, sponsorships, heavy merchandising, and who knows what else.
VLDL does much shorter form content. And since a recent KS campaign helped them fund their own studio (with dedicated sets for their most popular shows, and one of, if not THE biggest green screen in NZ), their production schedules have gotten easier, and probably cheaper. They, too, had existing revenue streams from YT, some sponsorships, and Patreon (which their new site is meant to replace Patreon).
One of the thing both services offer is exclusive shows. That’s definitely where MST3K’s narrow-focused content hampers them in this respect. So it would be harder to find exclusive content they could produce. True, the entire s13 was exclusive–at least until it migrated to other platforms. But having additional exclusive content that supporters could access with a monthly fee could provide consistent revenue that the Gizmoplex never did (probably because most everyone who would pay for Gizmoplex access already did so during the KS).
Still, MST3K has options. Independent host segments. Maybe put new shorts under a subscription plan. Livestreams like we saw during the s13 KS. There’s still salaries and production costs to consider here. Less than a full episode, and maybe too much to produce fast enough to support a subscription model, but it’s an idea.
VLDL’s service also has things like bloopers and behind-the-scenes videos under their subscription service. That’s something else the Gizmoplex could do for (mostly) just the cost of editing already filmed content. Only the people at MST3K can know what other ideas they might be able to make viable so that content is frequent and cost efficient enough to support people willing to subscribe.
If there’s ever to be a revival, not just of season 14, but the Gizmoplex itself, I hope these are ideas they consider. Perhaps, with a little capital, a reboot of the Gizmoplex could even be the FIRST step in beginning to fund season 14.
If you read this far, thanks for listening to my Tom Talk. 
All Hail White Dot!
