History Main / EarlyBirdRelease

* ''[[Film/HighSchoolMusical High School Musical: The Musical: The Series]]'': Four days before its premiere on the Creator/DisneyPlus streaming service, the first episode will be simulcast on Creator/{{ABC}}, Creator/DisneyChannel and Creator/{{Freeform}}.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': The episodes "Hiccups" and "Autumn Leaves" made their debuts on the VHS release ''Dr. Tommy Pickles''.
** "Word Of The Day" premiered on "Angelica Knows Best".

* ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'': The BannedEpisode "I'll See You in Court" made its debut on the ''Most Outrageous Episodes, Vol. 1'' DVD before making its TV debut on Creator/{{FX}}.

** Rival network 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.
*** Unaired episodes are also occasionally 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]].

Sometimes, the owners of a work might release it in another form of media before it makes its "official" debut on television or theaters, either to get people invested or interested in what's to come, or to get people to spread the word through critics or general word-of-mouth.

[[AC:[[AnimatedFilms Film - Animation]]]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls'' episode "#[=HateTriangle=]" premiered on tv on March 24, 2019, but it's on demand premiere was on March 17.

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

** The first four episodes of season five premiered together on Memorial Day as the hour-long special ''Wanted'', but the first episode ("Stuck Together") was shown online as a sneak peak about three weeks early.
** The six episodes from "Dewey Wins" to "Kevin Party" went up online over a month before they started premiering on TV two-per-week.
** The four episodes from "Your Mother and Mine" to "Letters to Lars" were posted two weeks before they started airing once a week on TV.
** "Legs From Here to Homeworld" was posted ''five months'' in advance of the TV airing, one day after its premiere at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. This was likely done to give those who couldn't attend the event a chance to see the episode without being spoiled.

* Because of ScheduleSlip, the ''WesternAnimation/DragonTales'' episode "Cowboy Max" premiered on the DVD "Whenever I'm Afraid..." a month before airing on TV.

* Most episodes from the second and third seasons of ''WesternAnimationStarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' were released on Disney XD's website and app several hours before they aired on TV.

* Since the middle of its fourth season, the majority of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode have been released on Creator/CartoonNetwork's website and video-on before airing on TV:

** "Legs From Here to Homeworld" was posted ''five months'' in advance of the TV airing, one day after its premiere at San Diego Comic-Con 2018.

* ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'': The episode "Link" was released first as an extra on the ''Disney/LeroyAndStitch'' DVD a month before its TV airing.

* Since the middle of its fourth season, the majority of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode have been released on UsefulNotes/CartoonNetwork's website and video-on before airing on TV:

* The first episode of ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'', "Space Chicken/Steak Night" came out on the Disney Channel YouTube channel on June 8, 2018, while its tv debut was on June 18.

* The ''WesternAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls'' episode "#HateTriangle" premiered on tv on March 24, 2019, but it's on demand premiere was on March 17.

** The "Tripped!" special was released to Amazon on May 5, 2018, the day it was originally supposed to air. When Amazon realized that [[ScheduleSlip Nickelodeon delayed the special's airing]], they removed it from the website until it actually aired a month later.
* ''WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse2013'': The HalloweenSpecial [[Recap/MickeyMouseS4E9TheScariestStoryEver "The Scariest Story Ever"]] was released on the ''Mickey Mouse: Merry & Scary'' DVD before airing on TV.

* ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForceColonMovieFilmForTheaters'': Creator/AdultSwim announced that the film would be shown on the network April Fools' Day, two weeks before its theatrical release. And they made good on their word... by muting the sound, shrinking the picture down to the lower-left corner of the screen and running occasional pop-up graphics over it.

** "Legs From Here to Homeworld" was posted ''five months'' in advance of the TV airing, one day after its premiere at the SDCC 2018.

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': Similar to the ''Green Lantern'' example above, "Before the Dawn" was pulled from the schedule a mere ''hours'' before it was to air, but that didn't stop it from getting released on iTunes. It went on to become the top-selling show on the store that day.

** "Legs From Here to Homeworld" was posted in advance of the TV airing as well (which still has yet to be announced), one day after its premiere at the SDCC 2018.

* Since the middle of its fourth season, the majority of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode have been released on Cartoon Network's website and video-on before airing on TV:

* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': Similar to the ''Green Lantern'' example above, "Before the Dawn" was pulled from the schedule a mere ''hours'' before it was to air, but that didn't stop it from getting released on iTunes. It went on to become the top-selling show on the store that day ([[InternetBackdraft most likely as protest from angry fans]]).

* ''Hetty Feather'': The episode "Sisters" was accidentally released onto BBC iPlayer instead of "Jack in the Box" as intended. This was soon corrected.

** The episode "Future Tense" was accidentally released to Amazon Video on September 4, 2017, two weeks before its airdate; this was because it was originally going to air on TV that day as part of a four-day "bomb" before Nickelodeon rescheduled it, and Amazon somehow didn't get word of the update. The episode, along with it's companion "Lynner Takes All", was removed from the site three days later.

** "Scare Master" was accidentally released to iTunes a month before its premiere. It was quickly removed and replaced with the intended episode, "Rarity Investigates!".

This is usually the case for a BonusEpisode on a DVD release for a show. Compare ShortRunInPeru, where this is the case for works outside their native countries. Contrast ContentLeak, where the release is accident.

* ''[[WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters]]'': Creator/AdultSwim announced that the film would be shown on the network April Fools' Day, two weeks before its theatrical release. And they made good on their word...[[spoiler: by muting the sound, shrinking the picture down to the lower-left corner of the screen and running occasional pop-up graphics over it]].

* ''Jonah from Tonga'': The entire series was available for streaming for one weekend on BBC iPlayer and ABC iview before being shown on BBC Three and ABC1.

This is usually the case for a BonusEpisode on a DVD release for a show. Compare ShortRunInPeru, where this is the case for works outside their native countries.