Change.org Petition For Free Netflix, 67,000+ Signatures Gathered!

60 days of free streaming. That’s what a new Change.org petition is demanding from all the streaming platforms as a contribution towards COVID relief. 

The petition, which is aiming for 75,000 signatures, had already crossed 67,000 at the time of publishing. The decision-makers for the petition have been tagged as YouTube, Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and Amazon. 

Despite the rising number of signatures, many think the petition to be a ridiculous one. Their contention is that these media houses are businesses and not charity. Besides, the truth is that their subscription fees are really quite affordable. 

However, according to petitioner Philip Kolas,

“The problem with this (turning to streaming during lockdown) is that many people cannot afford these membership fees, especially in a time like now when many people’s economic livelihood is already strained.”

He goes on to contend that,

“If people can watch as much as they want, whenever they want, this will help alleviate the stress of home isolation, as well as encourage people to stay home. This is a responsible community health strategy…”

The petition has asked for all subscription fees and charges per rental movie to be waived for the next 60 days.

Tough luck!

Meanwhile, the platforms seem to have no incentive for charity. 

Earlier this week, Netflix reported addition of 16 million new subscribers in the first three months of the year. This was said to be almost double its projections for this quarter.

Its value on Tuesday was over $190 billion, making Netflix worth more than Disney.

And Disney hasn’t done too shabbily with its streaming front Disney+ (unlisted in the petition), having signed up more than 50 million subscribers in the first six months of release. 

Meanwhile, Amazon, Apple and HBO have already laid out a series of shows and films that are free for streaming during the lockdown. However, while viewers don’t need a Prime account to access the free content, they still need to set up an account on Amazon. 

Other entertainment companies, which the petition skipped, are already giving away a month of free access. These include CBS All Access and Showtime, Sundance, among others. 

So for more reasons than one, we agree with a comment below the petition saying that even if it were to gather a million signatures, nothing concrete is likely to be achieved!