In a surprise move Disney/Lucasfilm has decided for the first time to have a Disney Plus original series air outside the streaming platform. The day before, the day of, and the day after Thanksgiving will see the first two episodes of the critically acclaimed Star Wars prequel television series Andor be broadcast across various Disney owned networks. Wednesday on ABC, Thursday on FX, Friday on Freeform and streaming on Hulu the 23rd until December 7th.
More are joining the Rebellion.Â
— Star Wars | Andor & Tales of the Jedi On Disney+ (@starwars) November 14, 2022
 @ABCNetwork, @FXNetworks, @FreeformTV and @Hulu will air the first two episodes of #Andor starting 11/23. pic.twitter.com/fZyuzOP2kz
The Andor series has been met with praise from both fans and critics, calling it one of the best Star Wars series on Disney Plus. However the series has not been a success in viewership numbers as its numbers haven’t even reached the Nielson Top 10 ever since its premier back in late September. 
The move almost seems like an act of desperation to try and spread awareness of the show and to try and get people to subscribe to Disney Plus after the company’s recent earnings call in which their streaming numbers came up short.
Multiple recent Disney Plus original series haven’t reached the numbers or watch time the company had been hoping for. Some at the company may even be questioning how much money they are purring into original programing for the service as the returns don’t seem to add up.
One thing common about the series is that not many people know it even exists due to Disney’s poor marketing of the show; Which is a shame since many people who have seen it have almost nothing but positive things to say. You’d expect they to try and market something that helps breathe new life into what many call a “dying brand”.
The series is still expected to have its final two episodes air exclusively on Disney Plus on November 16th and November 23rd. But will the “free sample” on television be enough to bring in more viewership?Â
Source: VarietyÂ
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