Ahsoka has received an updated release that is different from all previous Star Wars Disney+ series. In the initial years of Disney+, The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2, The Clone Wars season 7, and The Bad Batch season 1 were all released on Fridays at 3:00 AM Eastern/12:00 AM Pacific time.
Following the success of releasing new episodes of Marvel’s Loki on Wednesdays, Disney+ shifted its Star Wars shows to releasing at 3:00 AM ET/12:00 AM PT on Wednesdays. Ahsoka would continue following this release schedule, with the two-episode premiere scheduled for Wednesday, August 23.
According to Ahsoka‘s official social media, that is all set to change as episodes will now be released on Tuesdays at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT, beginning with the two-episode premiere on August 22.
Thank you to all the fans who celebrated with us at our #Ahsoka fan events around the world last night!
— Ahsoka (@ahsokaofficial) August 18, 2023
We’re excited to announce that new episodes of #Ahsoka will now launch Tuesdays at 6PM PT, starting with our two-episode premiere on August 22, only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/aANUtKRV7L
While the previous release time was better for some viewers, especially many outside of the U.S., it will be more convenient for other viewers, especially those on the East Coast who’d been staying up to watch new episodes drop at 3:00 AM on a work day.
It will be intriguing to see whether Disney+ keeps this release model or reverts to the 3:00 AM ET/12:00 AM PT release. If there is a positive shift in viewership as there was when Loki was released on Wednesdays, Disney+ may keep this change moving forward.
Releasing new episodes in the evenings may help the two-episode premiere and each ensuing episode feel like more of an event. HBO shows like The Last of Us and Succession felt more like events because new episodes dropped in the evening when more East and Pacific Coast viewers were awake and able to react during or immediately after each episode’s release.
That immediacy has been lacking with the Disney+ shows as many people couldn’t watch the episodes when they were released, and it was more of a gradual trickle of reactions throughout the day. This may help increase engagement, especially on social media, as each new installment of Ahsoka releases, including during the two-episode premiere on August 22.
What do you think of the Ahsoka release change? Let us know in the comments!