The Downside of Experimentation: Evidence from Television Shows

Firms often partially fund new projects for preliminary development rather than fully fund them to fruition. This staged development yields early feedback which can improve an individual project through learning and a portfolio of projects by the termination of weaker ideas. Although prior empirical studies have found a positive relationship between staged development and outcomes, these studies were limited to settings that only allowed for learning, i.e. projects were never terminated. To capture the full effect, this paper exploits a form staged development in the television show industry where a new show’s first episode is filmed and evaluated before commissioning the full show. Using Netflix’s entry into television show production as a source of randomization, a negative treatment effect of piloting on show ratings is measured for shows that are more likely to survive piloting. Mechanism evidence suggests piloting worsens shows by impeding their ability to attract actors and lowering planning of the full season. Hence, staged development can have a downside: the lack of commitment to projects can prevent them from getting the resources and effort necessary for success.