Rick and Morty Episodes Will No Longer Stream for Free

Fun's over, folks.

Future episodes of Rick and Morty will not be livestreamed by Adult Swim.

The network caused a storm of excitement amongst fans of the show when the third season premiered earlier this month, by livestreaming the first two episodes for free, and following up with more of the same for the season’s third episode (although the stream was not without its problems).

This week, however, as Polygon reports, fans were disappointed to find that instead of episode four, Adult Swim instead streamed a fake live-action version of the show, with the episode only airing on traditional television or as a catch-up option for those with a cable subscription.

https://twitter.com/adultswim/status/896907002416291840

Although Adult Swim's official Twitter account did provide a warning beforehand, they're being called out by some fans on Reddit for "trolling," even as others defend the network's right to charge for content.

Adult Swim has confirmed with Polygon that Rick and Morty will no longer livestream for free; cable subscriptions will be required for the entirety of the show's third season, although Adult Swim's tweet made a knowing nod to the inevitability of piracy in today's online marketplace, saying "Pirates start your engines."

Rick and Morty continues to air Sundays on Adult Swim.