Leaked Shows Signal Start of 'Pre-Air' Season

[zatoicchi]

With just a month before new television shows begin airing for the fall season, pilots and other unaired programs are taking file sharing networks by storm.

More than 10 episodes of highly anticipated shows have leaked online before their air dates, according to torrent-tracking site TorrentFreak. Leaks have offered sneak peeks at upcoming shows, including time-traveling cop drama Life on Mars, con artist dramedy Leverage and white-collar comedy Do Not Disturb, as well as unaired episodes of fan favorites like Stargate Atlantis.

"The number of leaked pilots and shows is always increasing," said Eric Garland, CEO of digital media tracking site BigChampagne. "Pilots started leaking as early as May and June, which is much earlier than usual and it will continue."

Welcome to the dawning age of the "pre-air" season, where shows bubble up online several months before their debut on network television.

-The leaks extend to some of TV's most highly anticipated new shows. In June, the first episode of J.J. Abrams' supernatural show Fringe (pictured) surfaced on file sharing networks -- three months before its scheduled premiere. HBO's Southern vampire drama True Blood became available for download through file sharing sites around the same time.

Leaked Shows Signal Start of 'Pre-Air' Season

[Aurion]

lol maybe part of their words are reasonably right,I mean if one of the new shows (that most of use already love to watch,also wait for new eposides) got leaked 2 months before airing time scheduled already,then I guess that show will lose some of its fans who used to turn TVs on to watch it (they will just press the "Play" button in their media player to watch whatever they like of any part of that eposide),so I guess we can call that whole thing a badies of p2ping (that was my own Opinion regardless I hate for sure what they think of torrenting since its the Invention of all times)

[anon]

I think thanks to the leak they can see the fans' reaction and check if even starting the whole series is worth it or just a loss of money :)

[Aurion]

well yeah but u know what no one ever intend to start up a new business without knowing that this business would Blast away expectations

[anon]

Now they can know how fans reacted looking at forums and websites, and know if it's worth it

[Aurion]

yeah but at least now they know how to compete wildy in the market since their first product got banged up !! hope they learn good from their what-they-didn't-do mistake