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March 10 (UPI) -- The first season of the hit Star Wars series Andor is now streaming on the Disney-owned streamer Hulu and on YouTube, expanding the show's reach beyond Disney+. The decision was announced by Disney in an emailed news release which said the full first season is available on Hulu with the first three episodes on YouTube until the Disney+ exclusive premiere of Season 2 on April 22.
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The move appears to signal a shift in Disney's evolving streaming strategy to hook new subscribers as the company hopes to expand the audience reach of its premium content amid a fiercely competitive streaming landscape.
Critics like Polygon's Michael McWhertor mocked the decision, describing it as Disney "begging" people to view its content.
And despite its 96% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes for the first season, the second season of Andor will be its last. The series premiered in 2022 and was created as a prequel to the 2016 standalone film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to explore the origins of a Rebel hero named Cassian Andor, portrayed by Diego Luna.
In the Rogue One film, Cassian fatefully helps steal the plans for the Death Star in events that precursor the original 1977 film Star Wars. The first season of Andor is set five years before the events of Rogue One as Cassian transforms from a thief and smuggler into a revolutionary.
In the second season, Cassian becomes a key player in the Rebel Alliance, Disney said in its news release, calling the show "rife with political intrigue and danger." The season will unfold over 12 episodes parsed into two phases.
"Everyone will be tested and, as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices and conflicting agendas will become profound," Disney said.
Disney also advertised a live re-watch event with show creator Tony Gilroy, scheduled for 12 p.m. PDT on Thursday on YouTube. That broadcast will include a discussion with special guests about Season 1, with reactions to key scenes and behind-the-scenes information.
