Apple added up to three months to the free Apple TV+ subscriptions it gave many of its customers in 2019. And it’s giving monthly rebates to some of those who paid for an annual subscription.
Apple did not give a reason for the extension. But it might give the service time to start the second seasons of its original slate of programs. These likely would be beginning already, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut down production for months.
That’s mostly a problem in the past now. Dickinson season two will debut in early January. And For All Mankind might not be far behind, as it resumed filming in August. See is reportedly set to start production in October.
Customers could be more likely to start paying for the $4.99 streaming video service if they get drawn into these ongoing shows.
More free Apple TV+
When Apple TV+ debuted last November, Apple gave a free year-long subscription to anyone who’d recently bought a Mac, iPad or iPhone. That first wave of free subscriptions would have expired in a month. But on Thursday they were extended through the end of January 2021, according to Engadget.
But not everyone gets three additional months. Anyone whose free annual subscription ends after January 31, 2021 will see no change.
Those who paid for an annual subscription will get the monthly subscription fee refunded for the months of November, December and January. Refunds will be in the form of App Store credits, not cash.
