The cable TV platform Foxtel will launch the third season of the critically acclaimed US women's prison drama Orange is the New Black by screening every episode in a full season marathon.

The unusual move then allows Foxtel to offer episodes of the series as an on-demand streaming title as well, due to a wrinkle in the agreement with US studio Lionsgate under which both Foxtel and rival Netflix share the rights.

The marathon will air on Foxtel's Showcase channel from 2pm AEST on Friday, June 12; the marathon of 14 one-hour episodes will launch in Australia at the same time as the episodes are made available in the US via the US Netflix service.

Foxtel will then offer the episodes on demand via the Foxtel Anytime service on internet-connected IQ boxes. The episodes will then be repeated weekly in a Sunday, 7.30pm timeslot.

Though the series is frequently paired with House of Cards - both are flagship programs for the US Netflix service - the international distribution deals which cover the two programs are quite different.

Netflix owns House of Cards, though it signed an agreement which allowed the first two seasons to be sold internationally by Sony Pictures in territories where Netflix did not yet exist. It was that agreement which allowed Foxtel to acquire the first two seasons of House of Cards.

Orange is the New Black, however, is owned by the studio Lionsgate. Though it is available on many of Netflix's international services, Foxtel has a run of series contract for the show which, effectively, means the two platforms will most likely continue to co-own it in Australia.

The terms of that deal mean that Netflix owns the "stacking" rights, that is, the right to offer all episodes at once for streaming, while Foxtel owns "linear" and "SVOD" (subscription video on demand) rights.

The fine print, however, allows Foxtel to offer each episode as a streamable product, but only after it has aired on a linear channel. By launching the series with a season-long marathon, Foxtel can then effectively offer the show in both a linear and streaming environment.

Foxtel's deal for Orange is the New Black covers the pay TV platform and its Foxtel Anywhere streaming service only. It does not include the Foxtel and Seven Network-owned joint venture Presto Entertainment.

The series is based on the book of the same name, by Piper Kerman, about a woman who is sent to prison for a crime she committed in her youth. The cast includes Taylor Schilling, Kate Mulgrew, Natasha Lyonne and Australian actress Yael Stone.

Former MTV Australia and Foxtel presenter Ruby Rose appears in the show's third season, reportedly as a prisoner who becomes in involved with both Piper (Schilling) and Alex (Laura Prepon).

In the US, the series is one of the flagship titles for the Netflix there, though the streaming platform recently clashed with the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS), which controls the Emmy Awards, over whether the show is considered a comedy or a drama.

Netflix had been accused, along with several other studios, of "category shopping" shows into categories where they have a better chance of nomination. In particular, it was reported that Netflix was keen to keep House of Cards and Orange is the New Black from competing against each other in the best drama category at the Emmys.

As a result, Netflix petitioned the Academy to have the series considered as a comedy series, a necessary move for the first time this year after the Academy moved to tighten regulations under which studios were previously free to make such line calls on their own.

A jury of Academy members ruled that Orange is the New Black must compete as a drama at this year's Emmy Awards, a move which means the series must now compete head to head against House of Cards.