Netflix has done away with free trials for would-be subscribers in the U.S. and will instead seek to grow its subscriber base through other means.
“We’re looking at different marketing promotions in the U.S. to attract new members,” a Netflix spokesperson told The Verge, which confirmed the move. The publication said that Netflix started phasing out free trials in the U.S. earlier this month.
Some of the different marketing promotions for Netflix have already begun. In August, the company confirmed that it had begun providing limited, free access to some of its original content including “Stranger Things” without the need for a free trial.
The company added a new webpage featuring free access to “Murder Mystery,” “Élite,” “Boss Baby: Back in Business,” “Bird Box,” “When They See Us,” “Love Is Blind,” “The Two Popes,” “Our Planet” and “Grace and Frankie.” The feature only offers the first episode of season one of the available series and it’s only available PCs and Macs (via a web browser) or with an Android device.
RELATED: Disney+ ditches seven-day free trial
The Verge said that Netflix will also look into offering some of its content for free on YouTube, a move that other streaming services like Quibi have tried out to attract new subscribers.
Earlier this year, Disney+ also ditches its seven-day free trial.
"We continue to test and evaluate different marketing, offers and promotions to grow Disney Plus," the company said in a statement. "The service was set at an attractive price-to-value proposition that we believe delivers a compelling entertainment offering on its own."
Netflix has already recorded rapid domestic subscriber growth this year. The company added 5.25 million new paid subscribers in the U.S. and Canada over the past two quarters, close to double what the company added in all of 2019. However, the company forecast for only 2.5 million new global subscribers in the third quarter, significantly smaller than the 6.8 million it added during the same period in 2019.