Three months ago, the third season of the Lifetime show UnReal concluded. However, the show’s fourth and last season is available on Hulu right now, ready to be binged.
This is not a mistake by Hulu, but was a surprise move which worked very well in today’s streaming age.
Last year, it was announced that there would be a fourth season of UnReal, but that it would be shorter than the previous seasons (eight episodes instead of the usual ten). When a show shortens its season, this can be a sign that a show is nearing its end. For example, look at two of HBO’s hit series, The Leftovers, and Game of Thrones.
In May 2018, it was announced that UnReal’s fourth season would be released on Hulu before it aired on Lifetime. On July 16, 2018, Hulu released the final season of UnReal and announced that it would be the final season of the series.
This whole story is full of great marketing moves by Hulu. First, Hulu was able to pick up a series that was about to end. This might not seem to be a profitable move at first glance, but before acquiring the rights to the show, Hulu already had the first three seasons of UnReal available on its service.
By releasing the final season of UnReal before it is set to air on Lifetime, Hulu has made an event out of the end of the show.
This move could also convince UnReal fans to subscribe to Hulu if they don’t want to wait for the episodes to be released on Lifetime. In addition, every episode of the show’s final season has been released on Hulu; Lifetime probably won’t air every episode at once.
This UnReal event has also occurred at a great time for the streaming service. Last week, The Handmaid’s Tale finished its second season and Hulu’s new highly anticipated series Castle Rock premieres next week.
It’s almost unreal how Hulu played this all out. Queen takes Rook.
Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons
