Why a Shadowhunters season 4 would be perfect for a streaming service

At the moment, the fate of a Shadowhunters season 4 remains very much in the air. Freeform has technically canceled the show already, and on some level we do have to take that seriously. Yet, we also don’t want to stop having some hope for the future since there is still a movement afoot — one that has raised a significant amount of money for charity and generated well over a hundred thousand signatures.

Do we think that Freeform anticipated some serious backlash over the decision to end the show? Probably, but we have a hard time imagining that they thought it would be on this sort of extreme level. The cancellation has reverberated through multiple fan communities and it is giving everyone motivation to fight to save something that they care about deeply.

While we’ve talked about other possible network homes for Shadowhunters in the past (including MTV), we do think that this article is a great opportunity to look at things more from the perspective of possible streaming destinations whether it be Netflix worldwide, Hulu, Amazon, Apple, or a surprising other entry. Why would it be beneficial for both the streaming service and Shadowhunters to end up there? There are a few different reasons why.

1. The audience already understands the model – For most of the world, Shadowhunters is already on Netflix — if there’s a way to rework things to keep the show there internationally and move it over to Netflix, obviously that would be wonderful. We just know that if networks / providers want something badly enough, they can find a way to make it happen. That’s what we are focusing on here.

2. The chance to rely more on binge-watching – There are many shows out there that we feel actually work better in the one-episod-a-week model. Yet, Shadowhunters really could benefit from airing many episodes at once so that networks have a chance to check out many different episodes in succession. It’s the perfect model to get people hooked on the show — it just has to be super-convenient for them, and if it was on Netflix in the US that would be a start.

3. An opportunity to go darker – Ultimately, being on Freeform does limit the content somewhat since there are more rules and restrictions. While we don’t think Shadowhunters ever should be R-rated, there are some more venues for creativity that can come via a streaming service like the chance to play around with episode lengths. For the content creators out there, it really is the perfect venue.

4. Financial incentives – This one is more for content providers than fans. If Shadowhunters ends up on a streaming platform, don’t you think that many of its diehard fans will spend their money to subscribe? TV is a business, and we do think that this is a business decision that could pay off.

Why do you think Shadowhunters could be perfect on a streaming service? Share in the comments!

Also, be sure to like CarterMatt on Facebook to secure some other news and information regarding the series right now. (Photo: Freeform.)