Roku Channel adds Severance in Push of Apple TV+ to new subscribers

Apple is bringing one of its biggest shows to a free streaming platform in an apparent bet that the influx of viewers will help bring in new subscribers to its Apple TV+ streaming service.

Roku said Thursday that the entire first season of the Resignation would be available on its Roku Channel for what it calls an “exclusive fan experience” running through January 19.

The effort is linked to the debut in season two of Resignation on Apple TV+ on January 17. In addition to the first season, the Roku Channel will preview season two of the thriller starring Adam Scott, as well as behind-the-scenes content. Users will also be entitled to three free months of Apple TV+.

The fan experience will be accessible directly from the Roku home screen, underscoring the high-profile placement of the deal. Roku has around 90 million users, making it one of the largest free streaming video platforms on the market.

“Cooperation with Apple ahead of the long-awaited Resignation season 2 and being able to create an exclusive fan experience available to millions of US households, including offering Apple TV+ content outside of the Apple ecosystem, on the Roku Channel for the first time ever, is incredibly exciting for us., ” said Sweta Patel , VP of growth marketing & merchandising for Roku. “Part of the magic of the Roku platform is that we can work with our brand partners to create customized experiences that our viewers love and achieve our partner’s goals.”

The deal underscores the reach and power of Roku’s platform and is another example of Apple pulling out all the stops to generate interest and subscriptions to Apple TV+.

Last weekend, Apple took the unprecedented step of making Apple TV+ free for everyone from the 3rd-5th. January in the hope that users would try its programming, which, among other things, Ted Lasso, Slow horses and The morning show.

And last fall, Apple struck a deal with Amazon to bring Apple TV+ to Prime Video Channels, allowing users to subscribe and access programming through the popular aggregator.

Still, a high-profile series brings as Resignation to a free streaming option like the Roku Channel (albeit an older season), is another push by the company to make its offering more accessible to more people, betting that users will stick around once they try it.

There is precedent for such an agreement. Last year, AMC Networks struck a deal with Netflix to bring older seasons of many of its shows to the streaming giant, betting it could drive its users to its own AMC+ app for current episodes.

In a streaming world, that’s important, and the services with it are increasingly benefiting as smaller players seem to get eyes on their programming.