The most successful crowdfunded TV series in history, The Chosen is four seasons strong now. The latest season delves deeper into the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth and has already debuted in theaters. But is a streaming release in sight yet?
The first multi-season, episode-based series of Jesus Christ and his disciples has inspired and hooked millions globally in around 600 languages. The series is primarily set in Judaea and Galilee in the 1st century and is based on the true stories of the gospels. However, the creator, director, and co-writer, Dallas Jenkins, has given more depth to his scripts by adding backstories to various characters.
The series has a unique release history, with the first season initially debuting on VidAngel’s subscription service in Dec. 2017. However, in March-April 2020, the season was made freely available through The Chosen app and website. Later that year, BYUtv was granted streaming and broadcast rights, later extending to include more popular platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Peacock, and UPtv by 2021.
As the popularity grew, new seasons of The Chosen kept coming — season 2 debuted in April-July 2021 and season 3 in Dec. 2022-Feb. 2023. While season 3 was airing, The CW acquired the three seasons of The Chosen for broadcast in the United States, and the popularity hiked, leading to a renewal of the series for a fourth season.
The team had bigger plans for season 4, and the entirety of the fourth season of The Chosen began its release in domestic theaters in the first week of Feb. 2024. The theater releases followed a block format, with episodes 1–3 playing for two weeks, episodes 4–6 for two weeks, and episodes 7–8 playing for one week. As of March 10, the season has finished its theatrical run.
So, is it time for the streaming release of The Chosen season 4 now?
When will The Chosen season 4 begin streaming?
Following The Chosen Season 4’s successful run in theaters, showrunner Jenkins announced an unfortunate delay in the series’ streaming release, tying it to “legal matters,” with the show’s original distributor and continuing licensee, Angel Studios (via The Direct).
Given that The Chosen is a religious show, Jenkins initially wanted it to be free for audiences and available to as many viewers as possible. But with the release of season 3, the program started streaming on several platforms in an attempt to reach a wider audience. However, this might change for season 4 and beyond.
Due to all the surrounding struggles, Season 4 is facing several delays in getting a streaming release or airing on broadcast TV. Addressing fans’ concerns, Jenkins took to his X (formerly Twitter) account on April 11 and provided an update on the release matter, saying:
“I’m sad to say that the legal matters that we are dealing with for season 4 are still happening. But I will tell you that I’ve seen a few things online of people saying, ‘Oh man, it could be six months,’ or, ‘I don’t even know if it’s going to come out this year.’ That is not the case. It will be well before then. I can’t give an exact date but we are hopeful that it will be sometime in the near future.”
While we don’t have an exact date yet, Jenkins assured fans saying “It’s not gonna be three months, okay? It’s not gonna be that long. It will be shorter than that.” So, going by his words, we can currently anticipate a release window of late April- July 2024 for season 4.
Can you watch The Chosen season 4 right now?
Right now, viewers can find the first four episodes of The Chosen season 4 online after creating an account on the Outreach Films website. However, individuals who sign up on the website must be associated with a church or ministry, and the episodes must be streamed as a part of a communal viewing only.
The general audience still has to wait a while to watch the new season. The Chosen’s production team is currently considering whether to keep the program exclusive to one platform going ahead. So, the streaming platform for season 4 is not yet decided.
However, fans can rest assured as Jenkins has confirmed that like the last three seasons, watching the fourth one for free via The Chosen app or website will always be an option.
