Kaitlin Olson’s hit crime drama will receive a special episode following the February 14, 2027, Super Bowl broadcast, as ABC prepares for the show’s third season.
ABC has announced that its hit crime drama High Potential, starring Kaitlin Olson, will air a special episode immediately following Super Bowl LXI on Sunday, February 14, 2027. The episode will be available on both ABC and Disney+, giving the popular series one of the most prominent television programming opportunities of the year.
The announcement came on October 12 as Disney prepared for its first Super Bowl broadcast under ESPN’s new NFL television agreement. The championship game will air on ABC, ESPN and Disney+, with High Potential scheduled to follow the game.
The post-Super Bowl time slot has traditionally been reserved for highly anticipated premieres and established television hits. Networks use the enormous football audience to introduce viewers to programming that might otherwise receive less attention.
ABC’s decision reflects the impressive ratings High Potential delivered during the 2025-2026 television season. According to figures released by Disney and based on Nielsen measurements, the drama finished as the No. 1 broadcast entertainment series among adults ages 18 to 49.
The series earned a 3.35 rating in that demographic when viewing across broadcast and streaming platforms was counted over 35 days. It also ranked third among broadcast entertainment series in total viewership, averaging 16.01 million viewers across ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.
Those numbers help explain why ABC selected the crime drama for its largest promotional opportunity of the upcoming television season. The ratings include delayed and streaming viewing, rather than representing the audience watching each episode during its original television broadcast.
High Potential follows Morgan Gillory, a single mother whose extraordinary intelligence and unusual approach to solving mysteries attract the attention of law enforcement. Her ability to spot details and connections that others overlook makes her an unconventional but valuable member of a police investigative team.
Olson plays Morgan, whose personality and unconventional methods frequently challenge traditional police procedures. Daniel Sunjata portrays Adam Karadec, an experienced detective whose disciplined approach contrasts with Morgan’s unpredictable investigative style.
The cast also includes Javicia Leslie as Daphne Forrester, Deniz Akdeniz as Lev “Oz” Ozdil and Judy Reyes as Selena Soto. Amirah J plays Morgan’s daughter Ava, while Matthew Lamb portrays her son Elliot.
The television drama is based on the French series Haut Potentiel Intellectuel, commonly known as HPI. Drew Goddard developed the American adaptation, which is produced by 20th Television.
Goddard, Sarah Esberg, Nora Zuckerman, Lilla Zuckerman and Olson serve as executive producers. Andrea Massaro is a co-executive producer, helping oversee the production alongside the show’s other creative leaders.
The third season is scheduled to arrive in early 2027, although ABC has not announced its exact premiere date. Outside the special Super Bowl episode, new installments will air on Tuesdays on ABC and become available on Hulu the following day.
ABC revealed its post-Super Bowl programming decision with a promotional video shown during Monday Night Football on October 12. The advertisement offered viewers an early glimpse of Morgan and confirmed the February 14 broadcast.
The special episode will arrive during a period of renewed attention for the series. The show’s combination of crime investigations, family relationships and Olson’s performance has helped establish it as one of ABC’s most-watched scripted programs.
For viewers unfamiliar with the drama, the post-game episode could serve as an introduction to Morgan and the detectives who work alongside her. Disney has not yet released detailed plot information explaining the case Morgan will investigate in the special installment.
The February broadcast also continues a decades-long television tradition. Networks have frequently scheduled major entertainment programs after the Super Bowl, seeking to retain a portion of the championship game’s enormous audience.
CBS used the opportunity to introduce Tracker, starring Justin Hartley, after the 2024 Super Bowl. In 2021, the network selected the premiere of The Equalizer, starring Queen Latifah, for its post-game programming.
Earlier broadcasts featured memorable episodes of established series. ABC aired a major Grey’s Anatomy installment following the 2006 Super Bowl, while NBC presented a special episode of Friends after the 1996 championship game.
NBC also used the 2018 post-Super Bowl slot for an emotional episode of This Is Us. That broadcast illustrated how networks can use the high-profile placement to draw attention to important developments in an existing drama.
The 2027 broadcast will be especially significant for Disney because ESPN will produce the Super Bowl for the first time. The game is scheduled for SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman leading the English-language commentary team.
Disney+ subscribers in the United States will be able to stream the game, including English-language and Spanish-language presentations. Disney also plans to make the broadcast available through its streaming service in more than 55 international markets.
Meanwhile, Hulu will use the football audience to promote another television drama. The streaming service plans to present The Land, a new series from Dan Fogelman, the creator of This Is Us and Paradise.
The upcoming series stars Christopher Meloni as Danny Roarke, a fictional head coach of the Cleveland Browns. His job and family relationships become closely connected when the team selects his son, a quarterback from Ohio State, in the NFL draft.
Mandy Moore also stars in The Land, alongside Chace Crawford, Chloe Bennet, Bridget Moynahan, William H. Macy and Omar Epps. The drama explores the personal and professional pressures surrounding the Browns, including decisions about the franchise’s future leadership.
Hulu plans to introduce the series following the Super Bowl on February 14, before releasing its first two episodes on February 15. Additional episodes will follow weekly, giving the football drama a scheduled rollout after its high-profile introduction.
Fogelman’s involvement connects the new project with Paradise, another Hulu series that has attracted attention for its combination of mystery and character-driven storytelling. The decision gives Disney two different scripted productions to promote around its Super Bowl coverage.
For High Potential, the next major announcement will be the official premiere date for Season 3. ABC has confirmed the February 14 special episode and the show’s regular Tuesday schedule but has not disclosed the storyline for the post-Super Bowl broadcast.
The episode will air immediately after Super Bowl LXI on ABC and Disney+, with its exact starting time depending on when the championship game and post-game coverage finish.
IMAGE: Kaitlin Olson at the 2010 Comic Con in San Diego. Photo: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia, taken 2010-07-25, CC BY-SA 3.0