Netflix (NFLX -0.08%) said on Monday that it is making a limited number of its most popular programs available for free in a bid to attract new subscribers. The company launched a website designed to showcase several of its flagship programs and television shows, which will be free for viewers looking to try out the service.
"We're looking at different marketing promotions to attract new members and give them a great Netflix experience," a company spokesperson said on Monday.
Left to right: Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and Caleb McLaughlin in a scene from season 3 of Netflix's Stranger Things. Image source: Netflix.
There are certain limitations. The programming will be available on Alphabet's (GOOGL 1.42%) (GOOG 1.43%) Google Android devices, as well as desktop browsers, but won't be appearing on Apple (AAPL 0.51%) iOS or AppleTV devices.
Television series available on the free site include its breakout hit Stranger Things, the Emmy-nominated Grace and Frankie, and nature documentary Our Planet. Hit movies include the Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated The Two Popes, fan-favorite Bird Box, and the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston dark comedy Murder Mystery, among others. Viewers will be able to watch the movies in their entirety, but will only have access to the first episode of each television series.
Netflix has already experienced unprecedented growth in its subscriber base since the beginning of this year, because of the pandemic and the resulting stay-at-home orders. The company added a record 15.77 million and a quarterly record 10.09 million streaming customers in the first and second quarters, respectively. For context, the 25.86 million subscribers that joined so far this year is nearly as many as it added in all of 2019 combined.
A report released just last week suggested that the majority of new Netflix subscribers planned to retain their subscriptions once the stay-at-home rules eased, pushing the stock to near all-time highs.
