SAN FRANCISCO: Netflix, the world’s largest streaming service, said stopped offering free trials for potential subscribers in the United States.
“We’re looking at different marketing promotions in the U.S. to attract new members and give them a great Netflix experience”, a Netflix spokesperson said, confirming media reports.
The company has pulled down the free-trial option from its website for the United States. The streaming service started phasing out the option for US-based subscribers this month after spending the last couple of years phasing out the option in a number of countries around the world.
With the coronavirus pandemic changing consumer behavior globally, more viewers are being driven to Netflix and other digital video services as people spend more time at home due to restrictions on movement and a switch to working from home.
This news comes after the company launched an online portal where users looking to try the service can watch a few movies and pilot episodes of Netflix’s popular series for free.
The free trial option is currently being phased out for US-based subscribers but will be applied globally soon. Netflix is also introducing new ways to try and attract potential subscribers which includes posting educational content on YouTube for free and other forms of content sampling.
Netflix is nearing 200 million subscribers globally. This decision to cancel its free trial comes when most online streaming services are leaning heavily on trials to build their initial subscriber bases.
Apple has just announced that it will be extending the initial free period for Apple TV Plus subscribers by three months to February 2021.
