Amazon to Stream ‘Transparent’ for Free in Honor of Golden Globes Wins
Amazon is looking to take advantage of its recent free publicity in a big way. After winning two Golden Globes for its new dramedy series “Transparent” earlier this month — Best Comedy Series and Best Actor in a Comedy Series, Jeffrey Tambor — the streaming service is making Jill Soloway’s show available for free on one day only. Subscribers and non-subscribers alike can head over to Amazon.com/Transparent or use their Amazon Instant Video apps to watch all 10 episodes of the first season this Saturday, January 24 from 12:01am to 11:59pm (ET).
READ MORE: The Golden Globes Tell Us Everything About the Entertainment Industry in 2015
The shopping giant turned streaming service is looking to convert a few viewers as well. Anyone who likes what they see on Saturday — or just wants to take advantage of free two-day shipping on purchases — can buy an Amazon Prime subscription for the discounted rate of $72. Why that seemingly random figure? Because it was the 72nd Annual Golden Globes where “Transparent” made history as the young network’s first winning program.
“We’re incredibly proud of everyone involved in the making of ‘Transparent’ — the team took a risk and it paid off,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, in a statement. “Big kudos and congrats to Jill, Jeffrey, and all the cast and crew.”
The strategy is a sound one for Amazon. A subscription normally costs $99 annually, or $8.25 per month (though you can’t pay in monthly installments), and the discounted rate brings it down below Netflix prices to a mere $6/month. Plus, you still get free two-day shipping on Amazon orders (not to mention shows unavailable on Netflix like “The Americans,” “Justified” and many classic HBO series). Pair these benefits with the idea of every viewer having five hours free this Saturday to binge through an entire first season of “Transparent,” and Amazon should be seeing some new customers.
Head to Amazon.com/TransparentPrime this Saturday to subscribe, and make sure you set an alert on your calendar. Like Criterion’s annual 50 percent off discount, this is one sale you don’t want to miss.
