Although Netflix has already had some experiences with affordable memberships, it had never dared with a free option – until now. According to Variety, the streaming video platform finally launched a subscription completely free . Of course, is only available in Kenya and, for now, there is no information about its possible availability in other regions of the world. Undoubtedly, it is a proposal that many hope to see in other countries.
Now, being a free alternative, it comes with some obvious limitations. First of all, only offers 25% of the total catalog , so in terms of content it is quite limited. In addition, the subscription is only accessible from Android terminals and it is not possible to download the series or movies to watch them offline.
However, to make it clear that there is no advertising hoax behind, Netflix does not request payment data of any kind . All you have to do is provide the email, password and confirm the age of majority.
Will the free Netflix subscription leave Kenya?
Photo by Sayan Ghosh on Unsplash Clearly, Netflix wants the potential market in Kenya, a country with serious economic and social problems, to have the opportunity to jump on the streaming video train. It is clear, yes, that in many African territories it is not a priority, far from it, to access Netflix . Let's not even go to the internet, because there are much more important problems to solve.
“If you've never watched Netflix before, and a lot of people in Kenya haven't, this is a great way to experience our service. And if you like what you see, it's easy to upgrade to one of our paid plans so you can too enjoy our entire catalog on your TV or laptop, “said Cathy Conk, director of product innovation at Netflix.
Will we see the free subscription beyond Kenya? To be honest, it is unlikely to land in countries where the service is well established. Clearly, Netflix's strategy contemplates gaining a presence in territories where streaming is just taking its first steps . It will be interesting to see if any of its main competitors, including Disney Plus, are encouraged by a similar proposal.