Big news for Outlander fans! The show is moving to a new time slot for season 7. Instead of its normal Sunday night slot, viewers now be able to catch all the time-traveling drama on Friday nights — with the premiere set to air on June 16.
Moving to Friday night is usually a concerning sign in the world of television, but with Outlander already guaranteed an eighth and final season, the network might have another reason for switching nights.
Starz moves ‘Outlander’ to a new night for season 7
It’s always worrying when a show changes nights, and it’s especially concerning when it moves to a Friday night. Friday has long been considered the “death slot” for many networks, with only a few shows managing to survive and succeed.
Fans of Outlander can breathe a sigh of relief, as an eighth season has been confirmed. Unfortunately, it will also be the show’s final season, and we’ll likely have to wait until 2025 to see it. In the meantime, season 7 is being broken up into two parts, with the second half set to premiere in 2024.
While the future of Outlander is already set in stone, fans might be left wondering why STARZ has decided to move the series. The network has yet to clarify the decision, but it might all come down to the numbers.
Starz is making a strategic move by switching to Fridays
One potential reason behind the Outlander move could be an effort by STARZ to beef up its original programming offerings. This might be an experiment with the Friday time slot to see if it will work out in their favor.
Additionally, the STARZ app plays a crucial role in its strategy, allowing viewers to watch shows on their own schedule. When a show airs on Fridays, it gives fans the chance to binge-watch it all weekend long. STARZ has already noticed that some viewers are willing to stay up late on Sunday nights to catch new episodes, so why not make them accessible all weekend as well?
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It’s a smart move for STARZ to experiment with one of its flagship shows. By airing Outlander on Fridays and making episodes available throughout the weekend, they can gauge if viewers are willing to tune in throughout the weekend.
Here is when ‘Outlander’ Season 7 will return to the small screens
A new night isn’t the only change coming to Outlander this season. The series is also splitting season 7 into two different parts, with the first half premiering on June 16.
The decision to split up the season is not a big surprise. With 16 episodes in the run, many believed producers would break it up into two different parts to avoid airing episodes for 16 weeks straight.
In addition, this move gives the post-production team more time to fine-tune the second half of the season. Plus, the timing of the premiere date ensures that the first half of the season will be released at a reasonable time.
The one downside is that the second part of season 7 will likely premiere in 2024, so fans will have to wait another year to see how things pan out for Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe).
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