If the show is already made, why wait to premiere it?
Starz has chosen to utilize the increasingly popular time-shifting approach for its new eight-part crime-thriller series, ‘The Missing,’ giving viewers the opportunity to watch the first episode of the show a week prior to its linear premiere.
The first episode became available this past Saturday through cable and satellite providers and via Starz.com, Starz‘s YouTube channel, STARZ ON DEMAND and the free STARZ PLAY app for all users in the United States.
Also, just as FX – in partnership with Xfinitiy on Demand – experimented (successfully) with making each subsequent episode available a week in advance of the linear premiere, new episodes of ‘The Missing’ will similarly be made available a week early to Starz subscribers.
“This new scheduling strategy optimizes the value of our digital platform offerings as we increase viewer flexibility for viewing the suspenseful series, giving STARZ ON DEMAND and STARZ PLAY viewers early access to episodes prior to our Starz linear network,” said David Baldwin, Executive Vice President, Program Planning, Network Operations for Starz. “The cliff-hanging conclusion of each episode of ‘The Missing’ will leave viewers wanting more, and by offering the episodes on Starz digital platforms in advance of their linear STARZ premium channel premieres, we satisfy that need.”