History Main / EarlyBirdRelease

* UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast: In the summer prior to its official launch in September 1999, users could rent the console, along with ''Videogame/SonicAdventure'', for a two-night period from select Hollywood Video locations.
* In 1984, when Creator/{{Nintendo}} was still figuring out how to localize the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom]] for a [[UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 Crash-weary]] American marketplace, they released versions of several early Famicom games as ''Vs. System'' arcade cabinets. The success of these games in arcades, ''VideoGame/DuckHunt'' in particular, proved to Nintendo that their 8-bit games and hardware could be successful in the United States. For games like ''VideoGame/WreckingCrew'' and ''VideoGame/BalloonFight'', the ''Vs. System'' releases were the first releases of those games, period.

* ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'': The episode "Blonde Ambition", the first following the ChannelHop to Creator/{{TBS}}, was available for free viewing on Website/YouTube, Website/{{Twitter}} and Website/{{Facebook}} for 48 hours before its TV premiere.

* Creator/PBSKids also utilizes the "channel-related app premiere" method, with them using it to premiere ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'', ''WesternAnimation/PinkaliciousAndPeterrific'' and ''WesternAnimation/LetsGoLuna'', as well as some new episodes of their other shows that have yet to air on TV. They also did this with the premiere episode of ''WesternAnimation/ElinorWondersWhy'', and released it to Website/YouTube as well.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePatrickStarShow'''s Season 1, Volume 1 DVD released three episodes before their airing on US television: "Super Sitters", "Nitwit Neighborhood News", and "Mid-Season Finale". They had aired in [[ShortRunInPeru foreign countries]] before then, but this marked their first English release.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePatrickStarShow'': The Season 1, Volume 1 DVD released three episodes before their airing on US television: "Super Sitters", "Nitwit Neighborhood News", and "Mid-Season Finale". They had aired in [[ShortRunInPeru foreign countries]] before then, but this marked their first English release.

* ''Series/NowhereBoys'': When Season 1 was shown in the UK, they were released onto BBC iPlayer before airing on CBBC.

** "The Sing-Along Song" from "Piano Problem" was first sung at a White House Christmas event six months before said episode premiered.

* In an odd example of this trope, the 2021 reboot of ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' first aired on the Pluto TV channel for Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} before its linear TV premiere 2 days later.

* ''WesternAnimation/KampKoral'': Episodes are released in batches through Paramount+ before premiering on Nickelodeon. The gap between an episode's streaming release and TV airing can be quite long; for example, "Wise Kraken" and "Squatch Swap" had an entire year (to the day) between them.

* The first eight episodes of ''Series/DonkeyHodie'' were released to the PBS Kids app first before premiering on television.

* In 1984, when Creator/{{Nintendo}} was still figuring out how to localize the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem Famicom]] for a [[UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 Crash-weary]] American marketplace, they released versions of several early Famicom games as ''Vs. System'' arcade cabinets. The success of these games in arcades, ''VideoGame/DuckHunt'' in particular, proved to Nintendo that their 8-bit games and hardware could be successful in the United States.

* The first episode of ''WesternAnimation/DanielTigersNeighborhood'' was uploaded to the Creator/PBSKids website a month before its' premiere.

* In general, many Cartoon Network shows in the age of streaming have had episodes first released on-demand or on the app weeks in advance of the linear premiere, such as ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCatsRoar''’s first episodes and '' WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo''’s CrossOver with them, “Teen Titans Roar”.
* In an odd example of this trope, the 2021 reboot of ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' first aired on the Pluto TV channel for Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} before its' linear TV premiere 2 days later.

** The March episode releases showed up on the PBS Kids app before airing on TV.

** The five-episode ''Out of This World'' StoryArc was released online almost a month before its TV debut. However, all episodes but the first ([[Recap/StevenUniverseS4E10StevensDream "Steven's Dream"]]) were taken down within a day, which has lead people to believe the others [[ContentLeak were only up by accident]].

** Two episodes of [[WesternAnimation/Animaniacs2020 the reboot]] were shown on Twitter the day before their release on Hulu: "Jurassic Lark; Suspended Animation; Of Mice and Memes" for season 1 and "Ralph World; My Super Sour Sixteen; How To: Brain Takes Over The World" for Season 2.

* Each chapter of ''VisualNovel/DaughterForDessert'' had two releases. Unusually, the paid one (to supporters of Palmer on Patreon) was released first, and the one for free users was released afterwards.

** Unaired episodes are also released at Alamo Drafthouse locations as part of ''PBS Kids At The Movies''. For instance, the ''WesternAnimation/DanielTigersNeighborhood'' episodes "The Family Campout; A Game Night for Everyone” and "Daniel Likes To Be With Mom; Daniel Likes To Be With Dad" [[https://drafthouse.com/show/pbs-kids-at-the-alamo-daniel-tigers-neighborhood premiered as part of this program two weeks before they aired on TV]].