Apple TV+ is changing the terms of its free trial: Will those subscribers stick around to pay?

Vulture

When Apple TV+ launched in November 2019, people who bought a major Apple product were given a free one-year subscription. That free trail was extended twice -- to January and to July of this year. With those free trials coming up, Apple TV+ will require those customers to pay a subscription fee. Meanwhile, customers who buy new major Apple products will only get three months of free Apple TV+, instead of one year. "There’s obviously a risk that TV+ is about to lose a big chunk of its subscriber base," says Josef Adalian. "But whatever happens, shortening future trial offers, and ending the ones which were extended, is a strong hint that Cook and his exec team believe their fledgling streamer is ready to start fighting for customers without a safety net. While some analysts scoffed at the extra-long trial period, I think it demonstrated (again) Apple’s willingness to sacrifice short-term revenue for a longer-term play. Fact is, every other major streamer (and most cable networks) built their subscriber base on the back of library shows, and then expanded through originals. Apple knew it couldn’t expect many people to pay for just a handful of unproven titles, so it wisely decided to basically give the service away for free while it let audiences get acclimated to its offering. But with its two-year anniversary just around the corner, TV+ now has multiple known quantities, and they’re shows many people really like."