Google pulls Chromecast free Netflix promotion
July 26, 2013
By Colin Mann
Google seems to have hit the sweet spot with launch of its Chromecast multi-device TV streaming dongle. Barely 24 hours after launching the device, Google has brought an abrupt end to a Netflix promotion tied to the launch.
The promotion gave users, new and existing, three free months of Netflix’s video streaming service, valued at about $24, when they bought Chromecast ($35).
In a statement, Google said: “Due to overwhelming demand for Chromecast devices since launch, the 3-month Netflix promotion (which was available in limited quantities) is no longer available.”
The attractiveness of the Netflix promotion is likely to have driven demand for the device. Both Amazon.com and BestBuy.com sold out of the device by the morning after the launch. The device is available from the Google Play online store, but a shipping wait time of three to four weeks is quoted.
Chromecast is significantly undercutting the Apple TV box, which normally retails for $99.