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”.
