Netflix is quietly testing free trials again — 6 years after killing them off

Chris MorrisWed, July 15, 2026 at 6:45 PM UTC

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Netflix, technically, wasn’t the first streaming service to do away with free trials. Disney holds that dubious honor, but Netflix was close behind, getting rid of its long-standing try-before-you-subscribe model in October of 2020 (1).

As viewer engagement becomes a growing problem (2) for the platform, however, and potential subscribers hesitate due to escalating subscription prices, the streaming service is starting to rethink that decision.

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Netflix has begun testing free trials for the first time in six years, with reports of (3) seven-, 14- and 30-day runs in different regions.

Netflix has not announced where it is testing the trials, but Brazil may be the first test market (3). The company has acknowledged the return of free trials in its Help Center, writing (4) “Netflix is running a limited free trial offer for eligible new members in certain countries.”

Growth goals

Netflix does not give regular quarterly updates on its subscriber numbers these days, but the growth seen in previous years seems to be slowing down. At the end of 2025, it told investors it had more than 325 million (5) subscribers worldwide, a 24 million increase from the year prior. That’s far less than the 41 million it added in 2024.

Investors are also increasingly interested in data related to viewer engagement, particularly as several highly anticipated shows, such as The Boroughs and The Four Seasons were cancelled after only one or two seasons.

Another area of interest is advertising revenue, which came in last year at over $1.5 billion, a 250%-plus increase from 2024.

Read More: Millionaires under 43 hold only 25% of their wealth in stocks. Here’s where their money is actually going

Growth ambitions

The return of free trials in some regions also comes as Netflix is looking to expand its footprint.

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Last year, it came excruciatingly close to acquiring (6) Warner Bros. Discovery, only to be outbid (7) by Paramount Skydance after it had agreed to pay $27.75 per share for the film studio and streaming divisions, putting the deal proposal price at $82.7 billion.

(Several experts had tagged Netflix’s offer as facing an uphill battle in Washington with regulators — and possibly other parts of the world.)

There were reports the company had expressed interest in purchasing Roku (8), but never submitted a bid. Fox ultimately bought the company. And there have been whispers in Hollywood about Netflix’s interest in Lionsgate, something the company has denied (9).

Regardless of whether Netflix expands via acquisition, it plans to continue building a catalog meant to attract and retain subscribers, with live sports being a key part of that plan.

In the 2026 NFL season, it will exclusively stream five regular-season games, including the league’s inaugural Thanksgiving Eve game and a Christmas Day doubleheader. And the streaming is reportedly exploring a joint bid for the U.S. rights to the World Cup in 2030 and 2034 with Disney and YouTube.

That deal, if it works out, could total $2 billion (10).

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Article Sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see ourethics and guidelines.

Nypost (1); Collider (2); Broadbandtvnews (3); Help Netflix (4); Variety (5); About Netflix (6); Finance Yahoo (7), (8); Fool (9); Cnbc (10)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Money”