Taskmaster SuperMax+: Is it... my happy place?

On 22 December 2021, during a Reddit discussion about the Taskmaster Podcast, someone suggested that it would be good if the podcast started covering episodes of the very popular Taskmaster NZ. My response was as follows:

It'd be great if they covered some of the international versions but, since there's no legal way for people to watch those in the UK at the moment, that could prove legally dicey/have limited appeal for the majority.

In my happy place, there is a Taskmaster streaming service which provides access to all versions, with subs in all languages, so the whole world can enjoy the Extended Taskmaster Universe on demand.

At the time, that seemed like an incredibly unlikely proposition. I mean, how would you even go about negotiating the streaming rights for such a service with all the countries who are currently producing and/or airing various versions of the show?

Yesterday, however, my crazy dream came one step closer to reality, with the announcement of the launch of Taskmaster SuperMax+ which, contrary to appearances, is not a TM-branded range of menstrual sanitary products, or an Avalon-run high security penal institute. No, Taskmaster SuperMax+ (honestly, I do love the name) is a franchise-specific streaming platform which aims to be "the complete global home for all things Taskmaster".

While most seasons of the original British version of the show are available on YouTube in regions where there has not been an exclusive distribution deal in place, this new service aims to make them accessible in one place to everyone, and ad-free, for a monthly subscription fee.

As of launch day, only series 1 through 3 of the original UK version are available to stream. However, information on the website indicates that the subsequent series - at least up to series 9 (i.e. all of the Dave-era seasons) - are to be released on a weekly schedule between now and April 15th. Series 10 through 12 are currently marked as 'coming soon'. Presumably a different release schedule had to be agreed on these with Channel 4, who commissioned series 10 through 15.

But the UK version of Taskmaster is just the beginning, with Alex stating on Twitter that "the plan is that EVERYTHING will go there eventually - Taskmaster New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, Croatia etc etc. That's the plan. All in one place." As of launch day, there is no indication of when this might begin, or what the release schedule for those shows might be.

The Taskmaster fandom seems to have been divided by the news of Taskmaster SuperMax+. Some instantly threw their money at it, despite the fact that they can only currently watch three seasons, because they love the show and want to support this ambitious venture. Others balk at the £5.99 monthly fee, pointing out that it's what they are currently paying for access to the hundreds of shows they can watch through their Netflix account, and that they cannot afford yet another streaming service, particularly one focused on just one franchise. Some just don't get the attraction, since they are able to access all of the UK episodes on YouTube (and many of these people are using an adblocker, so aren't inconvenienced by the ads anyway). Many question whether there is sufficient interest in the international versions of the show for the platform to attract enough viewers. Many have also stated that the platform would need to provide access to exclusive extras, such as additional out-takes, unaired tasks, and other unseen footage, to convince them to buy in to a subscription.

It is possible that this service will only really appeal to the die-hard fans of the franchise in its entirety, such as myself. But even I am hesitant to sign up for the service until I know more about their plans. Firstly, I want to know when the international versions are going to be added, and whether it will include all of them (yes, even the failed ones). Secondly, I want to know how long it will be before new seasons of all of the shows will be added. At present, Avalon is still under commission to Channel 4 for series 13 through 15, so I would presume the channel would want the exclusive streaming rights for those seasons in the UK for a period after initial broadcast. How long will SuperMax+ subscribers have to wait? Or will the episodes be made available immediately on the platform, but only for viewers outside of the UK? Will similar conditions apply to new seasons of Kongen Befaler, Bäst i Test, Stormester, etc?

It is, of course, early days. Hopefully these questions will be answered in the coming months. I really do want this bold project to succeed, if only so that more people have an opportunity to experience the non-English language versions of the show.