I did not know how the financing, streaming, on-demand thing worked. Seems to me bad business practice, in particular from this example.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--CBS's Under the Dome will escape it when the summer series' third season ends Sept. 10.  The question is whether the show itself survives the Chester's Mill townfolks' newfound freedom.

"The dome is coming down at the end of the season but that opens up a whole host of storytelling possibilities," said CBS Entertainment chairman Nina Tassler. But she wouldn't say whether the show will be renewed for a fourth season, adding that decision will be made by early fall.

Although the series is among summer's top-rated network dramas, its audience has dropped sharply from its big first season. The network has Extant, starring Halle Berry, Zoo (this summer's top new drama) and next year, has already announced plans for Brain Dead, from the creators of The Good Wife. Dome also has been critically lambasted of late for overextending the premise of the Stephen King novel on which it's based.

Still, the network makes money on these shows even with low ratings, thanks to a deal with Amazon Prime that makes them available for streaming within days of their initial airings. So Dome might not be lifted just yet.