Why are OTTs splitting their seasons so often now?

Content consumption in India was not an experience interrupted by seasons; Indians watched 1600 episodes over eight years, growing old alongside the Viranis. 

However, the addition of American shows to the list of channels provided by cable operators introduced India to long-running TV shows divided into multiple seasons. 

When the idea had only just solidified in Indian heads, thanks to the deeper penetration of OTT, many English-language shows were not only divided into seasons, but these seasons are now further subdivided into season one; part one and part two. 

Here’s a list of some of the English-language shows streaming on several OTT platforms that split their seasons:

Some Indian shows streaming on OTT platforms also followed:

Cobra Kai, a comedy-drama sequel to The Karate Kid (1984), is currently the only show to have been divided into a three-part season for its season 6. Netflix has, however, recently released the trailer for Stranger Things’ final season (season 5), which is also expected to be released in three volumes over three months, starting November 27.

Media and content strategist Devdatta Potnis goes on to call it “the OTT equivalent of a film intermission.” He dubs it “a creative pause that sustains excitement, avoids binge fatigue, and doubles marketing impact. It keeps momentum alive across months and maximises storytelling cadence and visibility.”

Some industry professionals, however, equate the parts of a season to a separate season as a whole, while others deem it yet another marketing gimmick.

“Seasons or parts of seasons are part of creating a long-term franchise of a popular show. It seems to work across the world,” remarks Udhay Sodhi, the former business head at Sony Liv. 

“Platforms decide based on marketing goals on how to release the episodes,” he adds succinctly. 

Dividing seasons into more than one part helps keep subscriber churn, the rate at which customers discontinue (cancel or do not renew) their subscription to a service, at bay. 

“Splitting seasons helps hold subscribers longer across billing cycles; it’s smart subscription economics. Using staggered rollouts to sustain viewership and renew interest without fresh acquisition spend,” adds Potnis.

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Nitin Burman, group CRO at Balaji, agrees, “The strategy for splitting seasons is not mimicking traditional TV models, but is a well-thought-out strategy for retaining consumers. When the OTT series is split into 2 seasons, part one ends at a point which nudges the consumers to renew the subscription for watching the part two.”

Are OTT platforms reversing the deal and making people wait for episodes just like traditional TV? “Not reversing, refining,” says Potnis. "The goal isn’t weekly wait; it’s emotional pacing. Controlled drops sustain engagement, mirror TV’s anticipation, and make consumption more enjoyable and less disposable. The novelty of OTT bingeing has lived its course.” 

Potnis, however, also leaves a word of caution: “Not every show can lend itself to that sort of viewing and neither do consumers have so much time to spend on every piece of content, especially when there are so many content pieces. OTT, like the good old TV, is now part of everyday life, so platforms must adapt in their own way to keep the relevance of the convenience, along with the storytelling fresh, purposeful, and worth returning to.”