Starz has announced that acclaimed dramedy Vida will premiere its second season Sunday, May 26th at 8:00. However, all ten episodes of season two will be made available on the STARZ app and STARZ On-Demand in the U.S. and Canada and on STARZPLAY in the U.K. and Germany starting Thursday, May 23rd.
The move is an interesting twist to the typical premium cable release strategy, which has largely avoided binge releases that’ve started leaking into cable. It won’t be the first time that Starz has tapped into this strategy, though, as buzzy new comedy Now Apocalypse had the remainder of its first season released before its third episode’s linear debut. How the cabler handles Now Apocalypse‘s renewal status should be a clue as to whether this release for Vida is a vote of confidence or something more ominous.
It might end up being the former, as Vida‘s audience on the STARZ app grew by more than 60% from the season premiere to the finale. The series benefited from universally positive word-of-mouth during its first season in 2018, growing by 171% to earn the series the largest Hispanic audience composition for premium series in 2018. If this strategy works for both it and Now Apocalypse, the two could wind up as major trend setters in the world of premium cable, especially as more outlets are looking to beef up their app and further entrench themselves into the streaming world.
From Tanya Saracho (Looking), Vida follows estranged sisters Lyn and Emma as they’re brought back together following the death of their mother. Season two finds Lyn and Emma having to rebuild their mother’s business despite a flurry of obstacles in their way and contemplate how they want to honor her legacy.
It’s part of a scripted slate for Starz that includes Now Apocalypse, Outlander, Power, American Gods, and Sweetbitter.
