Netflix Has Done Away With Free Trials
Sorry, freeloaders. Your days of Netflix free trials are at an end. The streaming giant has officially nixed the option for potential new Netflix subscribers to try out a free trial, and will instead start "looking at different marketing promotions in the US to attract new members." Most streaming services offer a free trial period to lure in users, but it seems Netflix feels they don't need that extra bump anymore.
The Verge reports that Netflix has confirmed they're no longer offering free trials. The Netflix site confirms this as well, providing the following message:
Free trials are not available, but you can still sign up and take advantage of all Netflix has to offer. There are no contracts, no cancellation fees, and no commitments. You have the freedom to change your plan or cancel online at any time if you decide Netflix isn't for you.
As a Netflix member, all our plans give you access to our full catalog of TV shows and movies. Choose a plan that works for you and sign up for Netflix!
Instead, the service is trying different things to draw in new users. Netflix has a portal that lets viewers watch a number of their shows for free right now. They also made their original film To All the Boys I've Loved Before available to view without a subscription. The other day, we ran a story that Pluto TV would start running Netflix's hit series Narcos for free, with Pluto TV stating: "Working in partnership with Gaumont, a longtime pioneer in the world of streaming, to bring the acclaimed Netflix Original series Narcos to Pluto TV is further testament to the evolving free streaming landscape that is rapidly gaining foothold for prestige partners, game-changing content and audiences alike."
The idea here seems to be that rather than offer up a free trail to everything on the platform, Netflix is instead dolling out free things in bits and pieces. Netflix is then hoping this will catch the eye of potential customers who will be so enraptured with the free stuff being offered that they'll turn around and plop down money to get the rest.
Will that work? It's certainly possible! Other streaming services continue to embrace the free trial offer. Recent services Apple TV+, Disney+, and Quibi all offered free trials during their respective launches, and Apple TV+ just extended theirs to run into early next year. However, Netflix isn't a new streaming service – it's been around for quite a while, and has already built up a huge name for itself. The reasoning seems to be that they don't need to play the same game as newcomers at this point.