As it stands, you can currently stream The Walking Dead on Netflix and its spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead, on Hulu. Well, the third series will not have the same charm for those wanting to catch up via the two streamers. Sorry, bingers! Unfortunately, it looks like you will not be able to binge the third TV show in The Walking Dead franchise on a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu, but for a business-oriented reason.
That is the word coming down the pipeline from AMC, which is currently readying a second spinoff and third overall series in The Walking Dead universe, which does not officially premiere until next year. However, interest in figuring out where it can be seen after it airs on AMC is undoubtedly high, given the popularity of the universe with younger audiences. Yet, AMC CEO Josh Sapan has revealed that the third series will not be licensed to a streaming service, per THR.
Will The Walking Dead Spinoff Be Available Streaming At All?
The still-untitled Walking Dead spinoff will be available to stream outside of the U.S. on Amazon. In the U.S., fans will be able to watch it outside of AMC on AMC Premiere and Shudder. AMC’s CEO vowed that The Walking Dead spinoff would be used to “fuel” its own platforms.
It is a move that more and more networks are making in light of the streaming wars. The ability to keep original content, such as The Walking Dead’s third show, on its originator’s platforms, rather than on a competitor's, has been increasingly common. As other recent news, including Netflix and CBC's break-up, streaming is very much in a state of flux.
AMC’s decision with The Walking Dead spinoff echoes the strategy of other networks in recent months. Both Friends and The Office will be leaving Netflix and heading to different streaming services. In those cases, the owners are using the programs as major selling points for their own streaming services, with Friends going to HBO Max and The Office heading to NBC Universal.
Just like those shows, there should be a big audience that will want to watch The Walking Dead’s latest spinoff venture, particularly if they aren't cable subscribers or miss it on AMC. That means potentially adding subscribers to AMC’s services instead of Netflix or Hulu’s.
I think many people understand that it is a savvy business move meant to close ranks on the competition. The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead have grown their audiences on Netflix and Hulu. They will continue to do so until their licensing deals expire. The third TV show will get a chance to cultivate its viewership on an AMC platform from the beginning, but it will mean one more streaming service fans will need to subscribe to if they want the content being offered.
AMC has already been building buzz for the series. A teaser for the upcoming Walking Dead spinoff featured characters teasing a “new world” coming the viewers’ way. We also know The Walking Dead’s third TV show will feature characters whose young ages will be vital to its story. How it will be different from the other series in the franchise has already been teased by the network and how the show’s leads grew up will play a significant role.
The third Walking Dead series will premiere on AMC in the spring of 2020. New episodes of The Walking Dead will air this fall on Sundays, at 9 p.m. ET, on AMC. You can currently stream past seasons of the zombie drama on Netflix, among new content.
