The series was cancelled on December 15, 2006 after only six of its 13 produced episodes had aired on ABC, with viewership averaging 6.5 million.

The seven unaired episodes were eventually released online at ABC.com rather than being broadcast on television.

ABC delayed the online release of the remaining episodes, initially citing 'unforeseen music clearance issues' before finally posting six aired episodes plus four unaired ones on January 29, 2007.

The series finale, originally scheduled for online release on February 19, 2007, was delayed nearly three weeks due to reported copyright issues with the original soundtrack, finally premiering on March 2.

The TV One cable network later aired all six previously broadcast episodes starting March 16, 2008, followed by the seven never-before-televised episodes beginning April 20.

Star Taye Diggs attributed the show's cancellation to poor timing rather than script quality, calling it 'one of the best scripts out there.'

Actor Adam Baldwin compared the show's structure to Memento, noting that its non-linear storytelling made it better suited to binge-watching formats like Netflix rather than weekly commercial television breaks.

Day Break: The Complete Series was released on DVD in Region 1 by BCI Eclipse on March 25, 2008 as a 4-disc set, later re-released by Mill Creek Entertainment in 2009 as a 2-disc set.