To celebrate the release of the new Apple original Sidney documentary film, Apple TV+ is streaming five classic films starring Sidney Poitier. These films are included for free with a TV+ subscription for a limited time, exclusively in the United States.
The ‘Sidney’ documentary premiered on Apple’s streaming service on Friday (how to watch).
Produced by Oprah in cooperation with the Poitier family, it highlights the cultural impact of Sidney — the first Black Hollywood movie star — on the movie industry, and the world. It features interviews with Barbra Streisand, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, and more, reflecting on Sidney’s life.
The following (currently) free movies serve as a companion to that documentary:
- A Raisin In the Sun
- To Sir, With Love
- To Sir, With Love II
- Little Nikita
- Buck and the Preacher
The free streaming promotion expires at the end of October, at which point these titles will go back to being available for VOD rent/buy from the TV app store.
From a streaming strategy perspective, it’s an interesting movie and represents the first time Apple TV+ has licensed classic films for subscribers, as the service has concentrated on an originals-only strategy.
Obviously, in this case there are clear synergies to its just-related original film, and serves as a promotional tool as well as an added benefit for TV+ subscribers. The TV app describes this as a “limited-time subscriber bonus”.
