What Hannibal's cancellation — and possible renewal — tells us about the future of TV

[Commentary] NBC's cancellation of "Hannibal" provides a window into the increasingly complicated world of TV economics -- and why shows that are canceled are more likely than ever to be uncanceled. Studios make shows, which they sell to networks. Networks collect ad revenue, but the studio collects almost every other form of profit.

In decades past, the TV network used to hold all the power, because it was the only distributor of television content. The studios that produced TV shows sold to a limited marketplace comprised of only a handful of content providers. Obviously, that's no longer the case, thanks to the rise of cable and streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon. So the balance of power has shifted toward the studios, and in many cases, the cancellation of a beloved show is less about a network ushering a show into the graveyard and more about it saying, "This doesn't work for us, but maybe it will work somewhere else." The impetus is ultimately on the studio to find that "somewhere else," something that is happening with increasing frequency.