Arrow Season 2 Delayed Until October On Netflix

Netflix announced today that the second season of the hit CW superhero series Arrow will not be coming to its streaming service until October 8.

Previous information released by the popular streaming video provider had indicated that new episodes would launch on Netflix on September 14, but yesterday the episodes weren't available for streaming. Numerous fan inquiries were met with different answers, ranging from "We don't know" to mid-October. Ultimately, the new launch date will make the season available on the same day Arrow's third season kicks off on The CW.

Arrow Season 2.5 #1 from DC Comics will also be available in comic book stores that day.

It's not clear what precipitated the change; it could be that Netflix, Warner Bros. Television or The CW needed a change, or that it was originally listed as a September release in error. That, for reasons detailed below, is the current prevailing theory among most fans.

It's unusual but not unprecedented for networks to allow a show's previous season to hit Netflix before the next season begins, especially when the network in question is owned by the show's producers. DVD sales are often cited as the reason for this, with the logic being that the second season (out on Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow) will sell more units if there isn't a more cost-effective way for fans to get quickly caught up ahead of the season premiere.

This policy often grates on fans of shows with especially short seasons or erratic production schedules (like, for instance, FX's Archer), as it can seem like a very long time between releases of new episodes on Netflix, even after they've already aired.