Though a fourth CSI show isn't in the works at the moment, the franchise is helping Alliance Atlantis Communications cut a significant chunk off its debt.

According to The Globe and Mail, Alliance Atlantis predicted that the CSI franchise would generate about $1 billion in revenue for the company between 2004 and 2008. Those predictions were based on the original show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and its first spinoff CSI: Miami alone, before the decision was made to create a second spinoff, CSI: New York.

Alliance Atlantis CEO Michael MacMillan said the possibility of a fourth series had been brought up, but said the company had no current plans to start thinking about one at this time. "[W]e're not looking at it," he said. "[I]t's way premature."

However, Alliance Atlantis acknowledges that CSI and its spinoff are an important part of their company. The company is looking to trim its debt with revenue, and ""and a significant part of that...is [revenue from] CSI." MacMillan said that while "we've positioned ourselves to make further substantial reductions in our debt levels," the company has no plans to "securitize" (selling the future cash flow to investors) its income from CSI franchise, because the company expects to see that money soon and has no reason to speed up the process.

One thing is certain: Alliance Atlantis has plenty of faith in CSI."[I]f handled well, and thus far it is being handled very well, CSI can have a very long life," MacMillan said.

To read the original article, please visit The Globe and Mail here.

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