Why do new episodes of WandaVision drop in the middle of the night?

WandaVision episodes drop in the middle in the night in some parts of the world, which can be annoying for fans. Disney explains the logic behind it:

If you’ve been following WandaVision over the last eight episodes, then you’ve likely adjusted your sleeping schedule to stay up extra late on Thursday nights so you can watch the new episodes right when they come out, which is somewhere between midnight and the wee hours of Friday morning if you live in the United States.

Disney also dropped new episodes of The Mandalorian at this time. Many have wondered: is there a method to this madness, or does Disney just enjoy making us stay up?

Apparently, Disney is trying to optimize viewership on a global platform, and there is no “one time fits all” strategy that really applies. “[T]he rationale behind the midnight PT drop is global alignment around a time that works best for content to sunrise across all time zones,” a Disney spokesperson told CNN Business. East Coast folks are a bit screwed with this strategy, since that means they have to stay up to 3:00 a.m. if they want to watch the episodes right as they drop, but when it comes to WandaVision, most are willing to sacrifice one night of proper sleep per week, especially if the alternative is accidentally reading spoilers upon waking up. The experience of watching it with other people for the first time around the world is very enjoyable and exciting.

The focus on global markets has shifted in recent years due to the rise of streamers. No longer is it just a coast-to-coast concern. Like many other streaming services, Disney+ goes far beyond the borders of the United States. It’s available in Canada, Germany, Spain, India, France, Japan, Australia, Brazil, among other countries, and many of them operate on very different schedules.

Also, picking this particular time to air WandaVision and The Mandalorian usually helps lighten the load on servers, since a lot of people will be sleeping during that time in the U.S. and Canada. The servers still crash sometimes because the shows are just that popular, but every little bit helps.

Sadly, the madness will end after next week’s season (maybe series?) finale. There will be a short break, and then we’ll be heading into the debut of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier on March 19, which will presumably continue the trend of late-night viewing.

Given this is likely how Disney+ will continue to air its episodes, I think this is a good time to invest in a coffee maker…

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