Apple TV is set to launch a “genius” new initiative this weekend, with customers lauding the announcement.

The streaming platform, which offers a range of original content, will be free to stream globally on the first weekend of the year (from Friday, Jan. 3, to Sunday, Jan. 5), on any device where the service is accessible.

All that’s required is an Apple ID and password to sign in for the complimentary two-day weekend promotional period. The initiative has been applauded by the public, with many suggesting it’s a sure-fire hit for top-notch television and film.

Some have hailed it as “the most cleve thing” a streaming service has done in years as everyone gears up for an exciting weekend.

Numerous recommendations from Apple TV subscribers have since been shared on social media, with Twitter/X users recommending everything from comedy romps to gripping dramas.

You can take advantage of the streaming service’s deal this weekend (January 4 and 5). One enthusiast has labelled Apple TV’s free weekend as the “cleverest thing a streamer has done in years” and called it “utterly brilliant”.

All shows on the streaming service will be available for free this weekend, meaning you can binge-watch anything from Ted Lasso to Dark Horses to your heart’s delight.

One savvy social media user praised the timed promotion ahead of Severance season two, observing: “Doing it like two weeks before Severance season two drops as well is genius. Their biggest hit about to come back gives people enough time to binge the first season or get into it enough they get a free trial to finish it, and then because Severance releases weekly they keep paying.”

Meanwhile, others have noted that such promotional strategies are not unprecedented, with several reminding onlookers of historical HBO free weekends. A commentator reminisced: “This isn’t even a new strategy. HBO and Showtime and stuff would and still do this on cable all the time.”

Another added: “HBO used to do this back when everyone had cable. It was the best weekend.”

Yet another person highlighted a similar approach by premium networks: “Didn’t HBO use to do this when premiering a new season of a show? I’m pretty sure Showtime did too. Not that your original tweet isn’t correct, I’m just remembering out loud. It’s beyond smart and shocking it doesn’t happen more.”

However, some critics argue that a single weekend is insufficient for a proper binge-watching session, with one detractor opining: “I wouldn’t have made it a weekend tbh, yeah corporation gotta corporation and get hooked to spend money but like make it a week so people can actually watch the shows they want to? How many of these can you actually get through reasonably in <48 hours.”

Another individual commented: “I would’ve made the week between Christmas and New Year free because that’s when you’ll really suck people in with original programming that they otherwise wouldn’t care about in their day to day..”