ABC is turning its next Super Bowl telecast into a launchpad for High Potential, not a one-off stunt. The Kaitlin Olson drama will follow Super Bowl LXI on ABC and Disney+ on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, as Part 1 of a two-parter. Part 2 will air in the show’s regular Tuesday slot. Olson announced the slot in a promo that ran during Monday Night Football.
Why this slot is different
The post-Super Bowl lead-out is the biggest sampling opportunity in US broadcast. ABC last used it in February 2006 with Grey’s Anatomy, whose two-part episode opened with 38.1 million viewers. In 2000, The Practice did the same two-part move. The network is now repeating the play with an established hit rather than a brand-new show.
High Potential is not on the fall schedule this season. Season 3 is expected to return earlier, likely in January, before the game gives it a second jolt. It will also stream on Disney+ outside the bundle for the first time; Hulu remains its regular streaming home.
The numbers behind the bet
Over 35 days of viewing across ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms, High Potential finished the 2025/26 broadcast season as the No. 1 series in adults 18-49 with a 3.35 rating and No. 3 in total viewers with 16.01 million. That makes the Super Bowl move a reward for proven demo strength.
- Big-game lead-in gives the episode broad sampling, but the cliffhanger turns it into a two-night event.
- Disney+ availability extends reach beyond the Hulu bundle, adding ad-supported streaming inventory.
- ABC is using the Super Bowl to reinforce a franchise, not to launch a title from zero.
What media buyers should watch
For planners, this is not a single Sunday night buy. The Part 2 resolution on Tuesday extends attention and gives advertisers a second opportunity to reach the audience while it is still engaged.
Streaming also changes measurement. The 3.35 demo rating and 16.01 million total viewers are 35-day, multi-platform figures, not same-day broadcast numbers. Media plans should model delayed and streaming viewing, not just the live telecast.
Source: Deadline
