"Jill & Jessa: Counting On," the new Duggar mini-series will not merely be seen on TV but can also be watched online for viewers that don't subscribe to a cable network.
But the viewing isn't free. Duggar fans will have to pay a price because the show's sponsors have dropped which put risk for the cancellation of the show. On cable TV, the Duggar mini-series airs on Sundays in December at 8:00 pm EST on TLC. But for those who doesn't have cable and cannot view the TLC channel, "Jill & Jessa: Counting On" can be purchased on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon Instant Video, the Duggar Family Blog noted.
Each episode is priced at $1.99 for SD or $2.99 for HD. Those who want to view the full season that includes all three episodes can buy it for $4.99 in SD or $6.99 in HD.
It isn't unusual for TLC to put the series available for streaming since other shows are on the same platform too. But this move is vital for the Duggars since this could help them fund their series since sponsors are boycotting the show, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Purchases of the streaming video could also allow the Duggars to run more episodes as a spin-off of the cancelled "19 Kids and Counting" due to the scandals that Josh Duggar got involved in. Despite the cancellation, TLC still partnered with the Duggars four months after through the mini-series.
But instead of bearing the same title and featuring the entire Duggar family, it merely aims to focus on newlyweds, Jill Dillard and Jessa Seewald since the two no longer carry the Duggar last name. It appears that TLC is capitalizing the Duggar fan base without the need to use the family name for the show, Inquisitr reported.
On its premiere episode, "Jill & Jessa: Counting On" got 2.2 million views and ranked 8th on the programs for Sunday night cable. Although there were a significant number of viewers, it still appears that TLC still couldn't get enough sponsors. Instead of national ad campaigns, merely promotion of other TLC shows and local commercials are shown during the airing of the series.
