Its renewal came as a bittersweet suprise to tens of thousands of fans all over the globe. But what was the real reason behind UPN's decision to renew "Star Trek: Enterprise" for a fourth season?

UPN's goal is now achieving a female demographic, meaning it has little space for what is often seen by the networks as a male-dominated series, demographically speaking. On a Wednesday timeslot replacing "Star Trek: Enterprise" is now the reality show "America's Top Model" (which directly led to the cancellation of super-spy drama "Jake 2.0"), leading into new drama "Kevin Hill."

The space-adventure series this season confronted tough competition this season, as it faced the man of steel, in "Smallville" over on The WB, a show which has been a ratings winner since its debut three years ago.

According to TV Guide, however, the reason for the show's renewal is a simple one: money. TV Guide's sources said that Paramount dropped the price of each episode of the prequel Trek series to a level which the network found to be irresistable.

At the climax of the third season, the price per episode was at a high of $1.7 million dollars, compared to its now $800,000.

So how can Paramount afford to do this? Well, shows which go on to produce approximately 100 episodes become a much more lucrative opportunity once they enter syndication. The revenue lost through the lower per episode price will soon be made up for through a syndication deal, and more on merchandise sold to Star Trek fans.

"While only Trekkers would care if the show was canceled, Paramount knows it pays to keep them happy because Trekkers buy a lot of merchandise," wrote TV Guide reporter Stephen Battaglio. "Star Trek video games, books, dolls and other collectibles ring up about $200 million a year in retail sales, bringing in royalties of $20 million to Paramount."

"Star Trek: Enterprise" returns in the fall for a fourth season as part of UPN's new Friday night lineup, airing at 9 p.m. ET.

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