TNT Acquires Rights to British Series ‘The Lazarus Project’; Is Licensed Programming Future of Channel?

As part of the Warner Bros. Discovery corporate family, TNT has seen its share of cuts since the merger finalized this spring. Over the summer, the network canceled its last original scripted show “Snowpiercer,” and has been re-focusing on filling its airwaves with lower-cost content.

In news that is somewhat surprising in the wake of those developments, TNT has announced that it is buying the rights to air British drama series “The Lazarus Project” in the United States. The limited series originally aired this summer on U.K. premium cable channel Sky Max, which is owned by Comcast.

The series follows George — played by Paapa Essiedu — the latest recruit to the Lazarus Project, a secret organization that has harnessed the ability to turn back time whenever the world is near the threat of extinction. Sky has already confirmed that the show will return for a second season.

As recently as six weeks ago, it looked as if the Turner networks (TNT, TBS, TruTV) might no longer be airing scripted original shows at all, so what prompted WBD executives to change their mind? For one thing, WBD is not picking up the production costs of “The Lazarus Project” alone. Since the first season has already aired, this is more like a traditional licensing deal, with Sky Studios being responsible for a good portion of the bill when it comes to future seasons.

But adding more shows like “The Lazarus Project” could also be a viable path forward for the network. Licensing shows produced in the U.K., Canada, or other parts of the world would allow WBD to still air original content on its linear networks, but at a fraction of the cost of producing those shows themselves.

For years, The CW has made similar deals to air Canadian shows like “Wellington Paranormal,” “Tell Me a Story,” “The Outpost,” and more. Until August, WBD (and previously WarnerMedia) owned half of The CW along with CBS Entertainment Group. However, the two media giantssold 75% of the network to affiliate owner Nexstar earlier this fall.

The move to bring in licensed content could signify the direction in which WBD plans to move with regard to TNT. The company has already looked into using the network as a repository for older HBO originals that tend not to see as much playtime on HBO Max or as a linear way to use the company’s library to attract customers to the subscription service with beloved shows like “Game of Thrones” or “The Sopranos.” The licensed and archival series could help round out the sports programming that is currently keeping the Turner Networks relevant.

At one point, reports suggested that WBD was looking to turn one of the Turner Networks into a sports-exclusive outlet. TNT’s deal with the NBA runs through the 2024-25 season, and WBD has indicated that it would like to renew that contract if the price is right.

TNT also airs NHL games, and sister network TBS gets some MLB games, while all three Turner channels air the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. WBD is also exploring possible ways to integrate content from its sports and culture website Bleacher Report into its programming offerings.

One thing is clear about what Warner Bros. Discovery has in the plans for TNT, TBS, and TruTV, and that is that those three networks won’t look like they have in the past. Whether that is due to an influx of licensed series, a reliance of archival HBO content, or a pivot to sports programming, WBD is going to attempt to figure out how to get the most value out of the channels while spending as little as possible.