Why don't the big networks show movies anymore?

I remember those days.I think the start of the video rental business may be one reason.That got popular in the mid 80's which is about the time all 3 networks had stopped airing the big budget theatrical movies.Another reason is a change in focus at the networks.Like the desire for more original programming.Money may also be an issue.It might have started costing more to acquire the rights to air those movies.

I do agree that going back to that format would be a good idea.The big 3 don't really run anything new on Saturday night anyway.Sundays are pretty dull too.And,yeah,NBC would be the best one to adopt this format again.Since they seem to have problems sticking with their new shows and cancelling them in a matter of weeks. But with all of the cable networks that now run the major theatrical films,they probably don't see any point in going back to that format.And with Hollywood being as greedy as it is,it might just cost the networks alot more now to air those films.

Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental

I wonder if it really does cost more, though. A lot of major blockbusters seem to go on to basic cable fairly quickly. If NBC can't afford last year's big romcom, how can TBS? I doubt that the cost has changed that much. More likely (IMO), between availability of rentals (and now streaming movies), and movies all over cable, networks think they will get a bigger audience showing reruns, sports, and COPS.

@atac57: You're not wrong except, for a few years in my childhood, movies were on Sunday nights on all three network. To me, its just like yesterday remembering a certain lineup of shows like 227, Amen, Golden Girls, Empty Nest, and Hunter all on the same night. Saturday night.

Why do we feel it's necessary to yak about bullsh!t in order to be comfortable?

I see a lot more competition from cable and even local sub-channels than in the past. It would be cool for NBC to steal HBO's thunder every once in a while, but these cable channels have studios in tight contracts. It would be next to impossible for a broadcast network to get a new film, unless it produces it as an original. A successful tv movie series is definitely a long shot, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. I think CBS had this mastered for a long time, until fairly recent memory. NBC should easily be able to obtain the licence to broadcast Sharknado though. I loath Syfy movies, but it would most assuredly would be better than an endless cycle of SVU reruns. I do not watch either, but do understand the cultural impact that they have made.

Reruns are cheaper and require little or no advertisement. That money is important. A movie would be a substantial investment, and the required cuts pretty much make it unworthy. Especially, since any cable channel has the ability to show anything without threat of FCC fines.

I was thinking the same thing the other day when I was flipping through the channels. Back in the 90s I could find movies playing on different networks and today it seem like the same few movies play on 10 basic cable networks. Don't get me started on the 90s sitcoms. Anyways, now I have to agree with the above post about Sharknado that movie would have fit perfectly on NBC I can see that movie having more success on NBC. Now NBC is full of drama shows and I think I'm sick of the drama shows right now.

A.B.C.7 here in New York City still shows the Late Movie on Saturday Nights.

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Probably because there are channels where people can watch the movies without the same annoying commercials every 10 minutes..... they do ruin the enjoyment of watching the movie...

If you deflect the topic of the thread from the show to me, our discussion is over 

It's less a matter of being able to afford the purchase price than the ability to generate a profit. NBC can well afford to air movies that TBS can afford. It's just that they make more money leaving the movies to TBS and showing something more profitable. When nobody's watching, it's more profitable to spend nothing.

Note that the networks get 100% of their revenue for a given time slot from advertising sales from their O&O and affiliate stations. And affiliates don't have to carry all of a network's schedule. When an affiliate carries local programming, the network gets nothing.

Cable "superstations" like TBS get flat rate subscriber fees from cable outlets, and so they suffer no penalties for getting bad ratings or affiliates not carrying certain time slots. It's a completely different economic model.

Remember that the big 3 networks' bread and butter is still serials, not movies. Also remember that Saturday prime time has always been a graveyard slot! Many TV viewers spend their Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons watching sports, and are ready to turn the TV off by prime time on those days. The big 3 can afford to write off the graveyard slots, week after week, which is a more impressive economic feat than buying one airing of a movie.