UPDATED BELOW!

If you’re eagerly anticipating the new pirate drama premiering on Starz soon, Black Sails, it’s been announced that you’ll be able to check out the pilot episode much earlier.

Instead of waiting for the show’s premiere date on January 25th, the first full-length episode of the series, titled “I.,” will be available online on January 18th.

Continue below for more, and to read a description and watch a trailer if you’ve not already seen one.

The special early access to the first episode of Black Sails comes courtesy of Machinima, who has partnered with Starz. The first episode plus trailers and other related videos and featurettes can be found at Machinima Prime.

DESCRIPTION:

Executive produced by Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes partners Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (The Purge, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), the series was created by showrunner and executive producer Jonathan Steinberg (creator Jericho, Human Target) and co-executive producer Robert Levine (Touch).

“Black Sails” centers on the tales of Captain Flint (Toby Stephens) and his men, and takes place 20 years prior to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic “Treasure Island.” Flint, the most brilliant and feared pirate captain of his day, takes on a fast-talking young addition to his crew who goes by the name John Silver (Luke Arnold). Threatened with extinction on all sides, they fight for the survival of New Providence Island, the most notorious criminal haven of its day – a debauched paradise teeming with pirates, prostitutes, thieves and fortune seekers, a place defined by both its enlightened ideals and its stunning brutality.

Starz has already picked up the series for a second season, which has begun production in Cape Town, South Africa.

UPDATE: As it turns out, there are numerous ways to check out Black Flags early. Here’s a rundown of the other options:

* Amazon Instant Video: Black Sails first episode sampling on Jan. 18 with 10+ additional featurettes

* iTunes Podcasts: First episode, featurettes and behind-the-scenes content will be released on an ongoing basis, beginning Jan. 18

* Maxim: First episode on Jan. 18 and extension of marketing partnerships.

* XBox Video: First episode sampling on Jan. 18, including more than 10 featurettes and materials released on an ongoing basis until complete season is released. The XBox App will also sample Black Sails via Starz Play on XBox platform. The complete first season is available for pre-sale.

The first episode will also be screened on Jan. 18 on the following traditional platforms:

* STARZ On Demand and online via Starz.com, Starz Play and the STARZ YouTube channel/STARZ Facebook page.

* DIRECTV ON DEMAND, Audience Network, DVR push, directv.com and Facebook page

* DISH via Blockbuster Studio channel, DishOnline.com, DVR push and Facebook page

* Comcast On-demand through Xfinity TV, Xfinity TV app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch as well as Facebook page

* Many affiliates (and smaller distributors) will be providing consumers with the flexibility to watch the TV-MA or TV-14 versions of the episode free either on demand or online including: Charter, Cox, Time Warner Cable, Mediacom and Verizon.

Trailer