USA Network surprised “Mr. Robot” fans Sunday evening by dropping the first half of the show’s season two premiere three days early on various social media platforms and the network’s website.
USA embraced the ethos of the show about an anti-social computer hacker bent on battling evil in corporate America by “hacking” a previously scheduled Facebook Live Q&A session with key cast members. The first hour of the two-part premiere began to stream a few minutes into the session.
USA then let it be known via Twitter and other platforms that the hour would stream for a limited time via Twitter at 8:30 p.m. ET, Snapchat via the Buzzfeed Discover Channel at 8:45 p.m. and the “Mr. Robot” YouTube channel and via USANetwork.com at 9 p.m.
The sneak peek of the premiere is one of a slew of stunts that USA has mounted in recent weeks to bring attention to the show’s July 13 sophomore bow. The series created by Sam Esmail became a sleeper success for USA last summer, earning Peabody and Golden Globe kudos and turning its unknown lead, Rami Malek, into a breakout star.
Most important for USA, “Mr. Robot” has forged a new path for the cabler’s original dramas, putting NBCUniversal’s flagship entertainment cabler in the binge-worthy drama arena for the first time.