Netflix moves beyond split seasons, embraces longer breaks between releases

Netflix revolutionised television viewing by releasing full seasons of its original series simultaneously, a departure from the long-standing weekly release tradition.

Some critics believed weekly episodes kept a show in public discussions longer. Yet, Netflix persisted with its all-at-once approach until it modified the release for Season 4 of Stranger Things, splitting it into two segments more than a month apart in 2022.

This sparked a trend of splitting seasons for some of Netflix’s top-rated series. This was partly done to deliver new content to audiences more quickly following production delays due to the pandemic and Hollywood strikes, with the trend peaking in 2023 and 2024.

In 2023, seasons of The Witcher, The Crown, and an extended season of Virgin River were each released in two segments.

The following year, this method was also used for Bridgerton, Emily In Paris, and Outer Banks.

By 2025, only major hits like Wednesday and Stranger Things had split seasons, with Wednesday in two parts and the final part of Stranger Things in three.

For 2026, the only planned split release is Season 4 of Bridgerton, recently launched in two segments.

Upcoming seasons of The Witcher and Emily In Paris will return to full-season releases, with the final season of Outer Banks expected to follow suit.

To lessen the time between releases, Netflix has increased early renewals to keep drama series like Virgin River and The Night Agent — along with nearly all comedies — on an annual schedule.

“Many viewers appreciate that yearly schedule and come to expect it, so we’re making an effort to uphold it, especially for shows we're investing in long-term; they've been designed that way," said Jinny Howe, Head of UCAN (US-Canada) Scripted Series, during the Next On Netflix presentation on Wednesday.

Even with early renewals, some series, including Bridgerton, Wednesday, and Ginny & Georgia, release new seasons biennially.

This is unlikely to change, and Netflix executives find some positive aspects in this delay.

Premium cable networks, followed by streaming services, have popularised shorter seasons, with 8 episodes per season now typical for streaming dramas.

HBO Max is changing this trend with shows like The Pitt, which produce 15 episodes per season and return yearly.