Why the new season of ‘The Chosen’ will be delayed on streaming

“The Chosen” Season Four will face a delayed arrival on streaming platforms, series creator Dallas Jenkins announced Sunday.

“We cannot release Season Four to streaming now,” Dallas somberly informed fans of the show in a video message. “There will be a delay, a delay longer than we anticipated and hoped for.”

Jenkins did not announce a date when the show will be streaming. The entire series has now been released in U.S. theaters. In his video message, Jenkins assured fans of the show that staff are hard at work to deliver the series on streaming platforms as soon as possible.

“This is no fun,” Jenkins said. “We are as bothered and urgent as you are. No one wants to get this into your hands more than we do.”

Jenkins explained that the delayed arrival on streaming platforms is due to legal matters that await resolution. Jenkins did not further clarify those legal issues, but said the show’s creators are “doing everything in our power to get this taken care of as soon as possible.”

Jenkins appealed to viewers to continue to support the project, reminding fans that “The Chosen” depends on crowdfunding resources. Citing the costs of international marketing, translations and production, Jenkins reminded viewers that “The Chosen” does not have a studio or network financing those costs.

“Fewer than 5% of the viewers pay for it or donate it to Come and See Foundation,” Jenkins said, adding that the Come and See Foundation is committed to keeping the show free.

“The Chosen” is one of the most-watched series in the world with over 200 million viewers, generating 770 million episode views, according to the series website. Plans are underway to dub the first three seasons of “The Chosen” into 50 languages and to provide subtitles in over 600 languages.

“It’s extremely expensive to be free,” Jenkins told fans. “And without us getting creative and without us figuring out ways to generate incomes so that we can be sustainable and profit, our previous path wasn’t proving to be sustainable.”

Jenkins reassured frustrated fans that the series was not profiting substantially off of the Season Four theatrical release. Responding to criticism that the series had been released in theaters solely for financial reasons, Jenkins wistfully said, “I wish we made enough money on the theatrical to justify that accusation.”

“We do have to come up with ways to be more sustainable and to grow this show, so sometimes the long term conflicts with the short term,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins did reveal, however, an alternative method for fans to view Season Four prior to its official release on streaming platforms. Beginning March 13, the Come and See Foundation, the nonprofit that assists with distribution, will bring the new season to churches and prisons for in-person viewing.

“No one wants to get this into your hands more than we do, and faster than we do,” Jenkins said. “We are as bothered and urgent as you are.”

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