YouTube Red may not have as many subscribers as Google had hoped the service would have by now, but the company is attempting to rectify that with a new offer. Google has found out that if you give people the choice between paying $10 a month and sitting through a few seconds of ads, paying for it loses out every time. The company is now attempting to make YouTube Red just a little more attractive to potential subscribers by giving them a free Chromecast device.
According to BGR , there have been a number of emails going out to YouTube Red subscribers telling them they are about to receive a free Chromecast unit. The email doesn’t really explain why they are getting the Chromecast but it doesn’t take much sleuthing to see that it appears the company is looking to make sure those who have subscribed to the service stay with the service.
“Thanks for being a part of YouTube Red. Here’s a gift we hope you’ll love. Now through June 19, 2016, claim your very own Chromecast from YouTube Red. It’s on us! No strings attached, just a little treat for being one of the first people to join the party.”
With Chromecast, you get a bigger picture. Simply plug it in and stream any YouTube song or video directly from your phone, tablet, or computer to your TV. We hear YouTube Red members love being able to watch ad-free videos on TV, so we thought we’d help you get started.”
The email says. Android Authority points out it doesn’t explain just how those who are getting the email have been selected. That seems to mean that even the people who have paid the $1 for three-month trial are getting these emails. That’s a pretty good deal if you get the email about YouTube Red and the Google Chromecast inside of the trail period.
Google is giving away Chromecasts to YouTube Red subscribers https://t.co/USyYWyWm8d pic.twitter.com/KqudJTQmpP
— BGR (@BGR) May 31, 2016
It seems as though you would need to have the service for a little while before YouTube Red subscribers are given a $40 device. If you are someone who uses YouTube quite a bit, it might be the time to start looking into getting Red. The service allows for users to get all ad-free viewing as well as background viewing and offline playback. All of this comes for $9.99 a month.
Clearly, the paid subscription services aren’t as popular as Google had hoped since it rolled out the service. The $1 promo for three months was the first step in getting people to sign up more freely. This Chromecast giveaway has the double benefit of rewarding people who have actually signed up while also being a way to advertise itself to those who don’t have the subscription yet.
Google hasn’t stated in any way, shape or form as to why these emails are going out to certain users. That’s a positive for the company because it doesn’t have to explain to anyone who signs up now why they didn’t get the Chromecast. What we do know is the giveaway is going on now through June 19 and has been offered to the first few subscribers.
It looks like those who got the email just have to order one through a link included in the notices and there will be a “discount” offered that makes the device free. Considering the device can be used for a ton of things besides watching content from its streaming video site, Google is truly offering something attractive to techies. One has to wonder if this also means the Chromecast isn’t selling as well as the company would like. Either way, it’s possible this could spark the growth in YouTube Red subscriptions Google has been hoping for since it launched.
[Image via Twin Design / Shutterstock.com ]
