Netflix launches “watch free” site with Bird Box, Stranger Things and more

Netflix has launched a “watch free” streaming site and made a handful of selected movies and TV shows available for non-subscribers.

It appears Netflix’s marketing department is working overtime and coming up with some clever ideas to lure new subscribers to the streaming service. The new idea? Make select movies and episodes of TV shows free to watch for a limited time.

Sure, streaming services like Peacock are free from the jump, but this is the first time a big dog like Netflix has made this sort of move.

So what Netflix stuff can you watch on its free site? Right now, they’ve got stuff like the Sandra Bullock thriller Bird Box and the Oscar-nominated movie The Two Popes, among many others. You can also watch single episodes of shows like Stranger Things, Grace and Frankie, and When They See Us, but you’ll have to spring for a Netflix subscription to watch the whole series.

Let me tell you something: they’ve very cleverly picked these shows, because as someone who has watched Stranger Things, there is no way you can stop after watching the series premiere. And with people streaming now more than ever thanks to coronavirus-induced quarantine, it’s just the right time to launch an effort like this.

If you’re excited to “watch free,” there are a couple of caveats. The content will only be available through a computer browser or an Android device. As of now, you can not watch through the Netflix mobile app or on iOS.

Dang, Android over iOS? We’re living in an an alternate reality, folks.

You can access the “watch free” streaming site here. You will not have to sign up or register and can simply begin watching the available content. But hey, Netflix won’t get mad if you feel like getting a subscription afterwards.

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h/t Deadline