History Main / VindicatedbyCable

* [[WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad]] was critically panned and derailed [[Main/{{Pun}} (no pun intended)]] at the box office. However, it did much better on video to the point where it grew a small cult following and eventually got a Blu-ray release in 2020.

** ''Film/SpaceBalls'' deserves a special mention in regards to this. When the film released in 1987, it was largely seen as a NarrowParody since it was a spoof of the ''[[Franchise/StarWars Original]] [[Film/ANewHope Star]] [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack Wars]] [[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi Trilogy]]'', whose last film ''Return of the Jedi'' only released four years prior and was seen mainly as topical. Thankfully for the Mel Brooks movie, the ''Star Wars'' Films have become one of the most iconic, timeless film series that remains extremely popular to this very day, meaning ''Spaceballs'' likewise continues to resonate with audiences.

* [[WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad]] was critically panned and derailed [Main/Pun (no pun intended)] at the box office. However, it did much better on video to the point where it grew a small cult following and eventually got a Blu-ray release in 2020.

* ''Film/ThePrincessBride'' bombed at the cinema (mostly due to terrible marketing), but thanks to VHS and cable it became well known as a great movie. It also has quite a following among UsefulNotes/ProfessionalWrestling fans thanks to the presence of Wrestling/AndreTheGiant.

* ''Film/SesameStreetPresentsFollowThatBird'' failed at the box office to the point it wounded the CTW[[note]]Children's Television Workshop[[/note]] financially and led to another Sesame Street movie not being made until 1999's ''Film/TheAdventuresOfElmoInGrouchland''. However it reached an audience through frequent showings on cable TV including Creator/{{HBO}}.

* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' is a CultClassic. A UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} sale, however, managed to boost it to that week's number one (''by revenue''), beating out quite a few new releases. It generally occupies the top-seller space on Website/GOGDotCom when there isn't a sale going on.
* ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'' suffered from poor critical and commercial reception upon its first release in 1995, thanks to a poor marketing campaign and it coming out near the end of the Super Nintendo's life cycle. However, the game slowly picked up a cult following through emulation and this trope really came into effect when Nintendo finally granted the game an official re-release on the UsefulNotes/WiiU UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole, of which audiences and critics were much more appreciative. MarthDebutedInSmashBros is also partially responsible, as more than a few gamers were introduced to the quirky world of ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'' through the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series having the main character Ness as a playable fighter.
* On a smaller scale ''VideoGame/{{Pulseman}}'' also counts since not many people knew about it before it was on the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} Virtual Console. Being created by Creator/GameFreak is also enough to spark some curiosity from those wanting to see how they were before their [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} most famous creation]].

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoChinatownWars'' sold well below expectations when it was released on the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS and did even worse on the UsefulNotes/PlaystationPortable; simply put, it was an AcclaimedFlop on those systems and an unusually low seller for a Rockstar game. The iOS version, however, was far more successful, and reached the top of the App Store charts.
* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' had [[AcclaimedFlop good reviews, but rather poor sales]] when first released. The digital re-releases by Website/GOGDotCom and UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}, however, are top selling.
* ''VideoGame/RaymanLegends'' was [[AcclaimedFlop acclaimed, but sold poorly]] when it was released in 2013, because of the controversy Creator/{{Ubisoft}} generated when they announced it would go MultiPlatform after initially planning it to be a UsefulNotes/WiiU exclusive—much to the displeasure of owners of that console, who thought a Wii U exclusive would give more gamers a compelling reason to buy the then-new console—and because the change of plan [[ReleaseDateChange delayed the game]] by over six months just in time to be curb-stomped by ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV''. However, both positive word of mouth and future ports to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch steadily increased sales over time.

* It's safe to say cable also breathed new life into UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. After movie theaters stopped running cartoon shorts, series such as ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'', ''WesternAnimation/CasperTheFriendlyGhost'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePinkPanther'', and ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' (among others) went on to become syndicated and Saturday morning staples and became even more popular than in their original time, to the point where [[OlderThanTheyThink many people will be surprised when you tell them some of these cartoons came out in the 1940s.]]

* ''[[WesternAnimation/Elemental2023 Elemental]]'' only earned around $154 million domestically, but became the most viewed premiere on [=Disney+=] of that year, making it a streaming hit similar to ''Encanto''. Unlike ''Encanto'', however, this was preceded by a remarkably strong ''international'' run in theaters, earning $341 million for a worldwide total gross of $495 million.

** ''WesternAnimation/Elemental2003'' only earned around $154 million domestically, but became the most viewed premiere on [=Disney+=] of that year, making it a streaming hit similar to ''Encanto''. Unlike ''Encanto'', however, this was preceded by a remarkably strong ''international'' run in theaters, earning $341 million for a worldwide total gross of $495 million.