Disney to release one of their Disney+ shows to their sister outlet ABC as part of a ploy to promote Star Wars on Disney+.
Disney is giving Andor an unprecedented cross-platform publicity push going into the Thanksgiving holiday.
The company is going to air the Star Wars drama’s first two episodes on ABC — along with FX, Freeform and Hulu. It marks the first time a Disney+ Star Wars series has run on the broadcast network. The move comes as the show’s first season finale is set to stream on Disney+.
Andor sees star Diego Luna reprising his Rogue One rebel fighter Cassian Andor. Many critics regard the show as the best Star Wars series yet, praising its grown-up tone, relatively complex morality and strong visual effects. But Andor has struggled to bring in as many viewers as predecessors such as The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan and its first half of the season has been criticized by some Star Wars fans as a slow burn. The cross-platform push suggests Disney has faith that the series has the potential to draw a bigger audience.