Many have noted a recent trend toward a more patient TV mindset in the past few launch seasons – waiting for episode four or later, for example, to think about canceling an under-performing sitcom or moving a show to a new time slot.

In the past decade, many shows have found their stride in the fourth season, or seen its highest ratings in season three. Even though past seasons have seen new show campaigns to be networks’ major focus, season two is starting to feel the love too.

Combine fewer cancellations within a show’s first few episodes with statistics of far fewer TV fans watching their favorite shows on premiere night (preferring on-demand or DVR) and TV’s second season has really become a show’s time to shine. Executives are finding that bringing in new viewers to a new show is just as important as encouraging new viewers to catch up on season one so they can watch season two.

Starz’s Black Sails premiered its second season on Jan. 24. During its first season, less than 10 percent of its viewers watched the show live, so Starz decided to have faith in the show’s delayed viewing power and put more effort into season two’s storyline and effects. CEO Chris Albrecht says a bigger campaign in season two is reflective of the current TV industry, where one might not even realize a show’s success until the third or fourth season. “It’s very hard to take the measure of a show’s success based off of one season,” he said.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Some viewers are adopting a wait-and-see stance.” Now that TV fans can catch up with a full season before investing their time on a show, why not wait until season two or three? FX CEO John Landgraf renewed all three of its new shows from last year (Tyrant, Fargo, The Strain) to see how they fared in the second round. “I think some of the audience has decided that’s a very efficient way to consume television,” he said.

TV’s launch season has also become so fluid, with premieres on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon all year-round, that networks have to try even harder to stand out from competition. Some streaming services are even ordering a second season before the first one has debuted, like Netflix’s upcoming Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

WSJ says it’s a way to attract top talent to a project when the network can guarantee at least two seasons of air time. In order to solidify its new original drama brand, WGN America gave both of its new series (Manhattan, Salem) a second season order. WGN America President Matt Cherniss says this move was because networks now have to wait for TV fans to hear about a new show, trust that it will stick around, then invest time in actually watching. “Once viewers find your show, they might love it. But you won’t know if you’ve moved up the queue until the second season. In this day and age, that second season is critical.”

Read more at The Wall Street Journal.

Brief Take: With so many catch-up opportunities for TV fans, networks are starting to put more faith in (and more marketing) in a show’s second season as a way to build viewership and brand power.

[Image courtesy of Starz]

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