Netflix is trying out new ways to bring in more subscribers, with one of the latest being an offer of free episodes for those who aren’t yet registered.
Ahead of competition from streaming services such as Disney+ and Apple TV+, Netflix is offering the first episode of its new series Bard of Blood completely free of charge.
A statement from the company reads: ‘At Netflix, we try different ways to bring people closer to great stories. We believe many people will find the thrilling story of spy Kabir Anand very appealing and are excited to make the first episode of the series available to everyone for a limited time. In the future, we will consider if we will do this for other films and series.’
Other experiments the streaming giant has been trying out include airing a free episode of its series Elite in Mexico and Columbia, and releasing a $3 a month mobile-only plan for Indian customers.
These subscriber-growing strategies come after news in recent months that Netflix missed out on its forecast for new memberships. Although 2.7 million new subscribers joined the platform in the second quarter of 2019, this did not meet the 5 million target expected by analysts.
Despite over 151 million subscribers across the globe, profit fell to $271 million during 2019’s second quarter; this is in stark contrast to the $384 million seen in 2018’s first quarter.
