AMC"s popular zombie drama "The Walking Dead" is scheduled to air its mid-season premiere on Sunday, but some viewers have already seen the episode thanks to an accidental leak by Microsoft.
News of the leak first surfaced on Reddit, where a post said the episode was made available for free on Xbox Live. The episode was pulled by Microsoft shortly after the leak, and it doesn"t appear to have made its way to any file-sharing websites or services. According to Deadline, AMC confirmed the leak but declined any further comment. The leak may cause tension between Microsoft and AMC, as a cross-promotion initiative saw Microsoft release a series of commercials for Windows that tied into the show while AMC released a Windows 8 app that syncs with the TV show.
As pointed out by Fansided, this isn"t the first time a well-known technology company has accidentally leaked a premiere of "The Walking Dead" – Google accidentally posted the first episode of the current season last year before it aired on TV. That posting was also quickly removed, similar to today"s leak.
"The Walking Dead" is scheduled to make its return from a winter break on AMC on Sunday at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.