Sci-fi fans waited decades for the next generation of the late-1970s TV series "Battlestar Galactica" to arrive. When the Sci-Fi Channel made their wish come true in January 2005, the
programmer knew it would find an instant fan base. But it wanted more.
Thanks to its merger into the NBC-Universal family, Sci-Fi was able to pack a lot more marketing into the show's
launch. Debuting first as a miniseries event, "Battlestar Galactica" was promoted on such NBC-Uni channels as Bravo and USA Network. Now well into its second season, the show pulls in about
2.3 million viewers a week, mostly 18-to 49-year-old males.
Marketing the show is a cinch, says Adam Stotsky, Sci-Fi's senior vice president of marketing. "This show is like
lightning in a bottle, from a marketer's perspective," Stotsky says. Sci-Fi appeals to viewers with a smorgasbord of online messages and viewing options. "The sci-fi audience does deliver a
very early-adopter, tech-savvy user base," Stotsky says.
It's no surprise, then, that "Battlestar Galactica" was among the first shows to be available for download to
video iPods. On the Sci-Fi Web site, fans can keep track of the show with video blogs and podcasts from the cast and crew, who deliver behind-the-scenes information about the show. The "BSG"
bulletin board is peppered daily with posts from fans debating plot lines. Stotsky says that all these efforts amplify the buzz.