How Syndication Built the Classic TV Business

The classic tv business ran on reruns. A series that reached roughly 100 episodes could be stripped: aired five nights a week in syndication and sold to independent stations for decades.

This math shaped everything: why modest shows were renewed, why certain genres multiplied, and why star pay climbed. I Love Lucy proved the model first, and shows like Cheers and Seinfeld became billion dollar libraries.

Streaming now plays the same rerun role on demand..