Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 has officially premiered, only not on Netflix, and not in the United States. FranceTV – the French national public broadcaster’s online platform – now hosts all 20 new episodes. Despite initial uncertainty, the series’ official status is now confirmed.
All 20 episodes were added to the platform without prior notice, advertisement, or fanfare. This fact has caused quite a stir in the Trek fandom and shocked its creators. That shock led to what might be best described as a bit of a shitstorm over the weekend. So what happened?
Saving Prodigy
Fans fought hard for the series to get a new home, including flying a plane around Paramount HQ! The fan pressure eventually helped get Star Trek: Prodigy its new home on Netflix, with a then-expected 2024 premiere. Season 1 arrived on the service at Christmas as planned, after being unceremoniously purged from Paramount+. Since then, there has been no word for Season 2.
As far as all, outside of Paramount, of course, were concerned, it was a matter of waiting for Netflix to announce the date. What Paramount did not announce, however, was that other broadcasters had also acquired rights to non-exclusive deals for Season 2. So when the series was discovered on France TV last Friday (March 22), things got messy.
The total lack of marketing was at the root of the confusion, leading to an inevitable shitstorm of anger and discourse. It also blindsided creators Dan and Kevin Hageman, who called the release a “leak” in a now-deleted tweet. And fans, of course, took them at their word and reacted understandably angrily.
UPDATE: It appears FranceTV did add one minor advertisement with a Facebook post on their Okoo FranceTV (a service and app for kids), as pointed out by Sergorn Dragon (via Twitter/X). It was dropped at 3pm on March 22, so one can assume this was the time and date of release.
However, we’re not seeing ads anywhere else. More importantly, there was no forewarning, of release, no trailer, no press, and nothing appeared to be present on the main FranceTV social sites.
Not in the Loop
Most fans were ardent in their belief that the creators would know what was happening and that the ‘leak’ would soon be removed. Surely Paramount would have kept the creators of the show in the loop? And surely they were working to correct this mistake? That seems only logical. Only, as it turns out, it was not a mistake.
Back in January the Star Trek: Prodigy producers had admitted to TrekTalks 3 panel they were not in the loop. And in fact, had no clue when the Netflix Season 2 release was coming. Nor were they willing to speculate on a rough date.
Dan Hageman: We don’t know. Sometime. They just re-dropped season 1 on Netflix over Christmas, so, I can’t guess.
Aaron Waltke: Season 2 is coming out later this year. That’s all we know.
– via TrekTalks 3
As odd as this seems to fans, it is not unusual. Former Disney+ comms & TV distribution Marketing and Publicist Brian Klotz joined the conversation on Twitter/X to explain:
The Official France TV Statement
The official confirmation came on Monday (March 25) via Le Quadrant Pop, a French Star Trek podcast. The hosts and Trek Central contacted France TV for comment. France TV replied to Le Quadrant Pop and confirmed that they have, in fact, acquired the rights to seasons 1 and 2. According to France TV, this is part of its contract with Paramount. FranceTV’s rights go until 2028 “without exclusivity”. Star Trek: Prodigy is on several other platforms, including Canal+, Okoo, and through AppleTV.
Here is the translated statement in full.
France Télévisions has in fact acquired the rights to seasons 1 and 2 of the series on French territory as part of its contract with Paramount. This is therefore not a leak but rather a diffusion within a contractual framework. Our rights go until 2028 without exclusivity. The series is available on Okoo, the France Télévisions youth platform and on http://France.tv, a generalist platform until the end of the rights. No linear broadcast currently planned.”
– Statement from FranceTV (via Le Pop Quadrant)
While this is an official release, and no mistake, it’s not the news many were hoping for. It is however a big happy surprise for French fans, who have been impressively restrained and kept spoilers almost completely off socials. However, the creators had been banking on a huge, coordinated ‘window’ of release with fans eager to help deliver numbers that may tip the scales in favor of a Season 3. So their disappointment at learning the news was palpable.
While many are still speculating rampantly about mistakes, intentional sabotage, and other theories, it’s worth reemphasizing that this is not an isolated incident. Nor is a lack of advertisement or promotion. Shows get added to platforms all the time. American shows can and do premiere outside the US first. While Star Trek is precious to its fans, to a business, it can be seen as simply content for its platform. Not everything that gets added gets promoted. Obviously, that’s not easy to hear, but that is the industry’s harsh ‘business’ side.
When Will Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 be released Worldwide?
There is currently no indication of when Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 will be released worldwide on Netflix. It’s very possible that more broadcasters who had the rights to Season 1 could also show Season 2. They could show it at a date of their choosing and without advertisement. So we might now see a staggered release for Season 2, depending on where you are.
That would be a hard blow for the show’s creators and fans. It could and likely will inevitably harm the chances of a Season 3. But so could fans not indulging in an official release in their country. So, the weekend events were very much a catch-22 situation. Hopefully, future releases on Netflix or elsewhere will come with the promotion the show deserves.
More From Trek Central
🚨 – BREAKING – Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 Is Out Now In France!
🔥 – Star Trek: Section 31 Wraps Production
🔍️ – Star Trek: Discovery’s Plot Hole Needs Filling!
Join the Star Trek conversation via our social media platforms:
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TrekCentral
- Instagram – https://instagram.com/TrekCentral
- Twitter – https://twitter.com/TheTrekCentral
- YouTube – https://youtube.com/TheTrekCentral
- Mastodon – https://mastodon.social/@TrekCentral@universeodon.com
- Discord – https://discord.gg/fF2heMbfW8
