The first season of Severance is now free on the Roku Channel

First Apple TV+ made its original programming free to watch during the first weekend of January. The streamer’s effort to attract new potential subscribers continues with its latest promotion: it shows one of its most acclaimed series –Severitywhich returns for it is long awaited second season next week—for a limited time free on the Roku Channel.

According to the Hollywood ReporterRoku announced today that the first season of Severity will be available on the Roku Channel until January 19, part of an “exclusive fan experience” (which sounds both sincere and like a reference to Severitythe infamous “musical dance experience” in the universe. The trade also notes “in addition to the first season, Roku Channel will receive a preview of the second season of the thriller with Adam Scott, as well as behind-the-scenes content. Users will also be eligible for three free months of Apple TV+”. (No additional details were provided about the “three free months” offer, but presumably becoming a paid subscriber would be part of it.)

Putting on the first season Severity in the Roku Channel, and making it directly accessible from the home screen of the platform in it, it really makes a lot of sense; as THR points out, Roku has a huge reach with its 90 million users and is “one of the largest free video streaming platforms on the market.” According to IndieWire Report in March 2024, Apple TV+ does not share subscriber numbers, although external estimates have them at around 25 million. (Netflix, on the other hand, had more than 260 million at the time of the IndieWire article.)

So, really, it’s a win-win-win-win situation: a win for Roku to host the first season of Separation; a victory for the Apple TV + to get many more people hooked Severity ahead of its new season and become subscribers; a victory for Severity to expand their fan base; and a win for viewers, because distinction –a deeply original, mystery-driven dystopian office drama about a world where employees’ home lives and work lives are medically separated, with chaotic results – it’s one of the best shows out there i am now

Severity comes from director and executive producer Ben Stiller, and creator, writer and executive producer Dan Erickson. It won Emmy and Peabody awards, and stars Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Zach Cherry, Jen Tullock, Michael Chernus, Dichen Lachman, John Turturro, Christopher Walken and Patricia Arquette. The second season begins on January 17 on Apple TV +.

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