Transparent, like House of Cards and Netflix before it, is doing a lot to convince both viewers and studios alike that there's no longer any real need for a network. Shows can be incredibly successful without airing on 'traditional' television, and Transparent is proof of that: the show holds an incredibly strong 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and 91% on MetaCritic - two scores that are almost unheard of when it comes to television.
Now that the reviews are in, Amazon is taking a moment to celebrate Transparent's huge success. For just one day later this week, Transparent will be free for absolutely anyone to download - regardless of whether or not they have an Amazon Prime Instant Video account.
Announced via the Washington Post, Amazon is allowing everyone to see Transparent for free this weekend, no Prime account required. The deal is only good for this Saturday, Jan. 24 - so make sure to get some episodes in before it goes back to Prime-only.
Of course, it's obvious that Amazon is trying to take advantage of the show's popularity: if the company can hook new viewers in with a taste of the show, then said viewers are more likely to buy into Amazon Prime. It's a tactic that's worked many times before, but at the very least, the promotion doubles as a celebration of the series' first Golden Globes win.
Speaking of the Golden Globes, the usual $99 subscription fee for Amazon Prime will be reduced to just $72 alongside the free streaming on Saturday. It may seem like a random number, but the 72nd Annual Golden Globes is where Transparent just won its first two awards. It's a nice little nod, and a great discount - the subscription doesn't just cover Prime Instant Video, but includes free two-day shipping on orders and free delivery from Amazon Fresh.
So, if you've been curious as to why everyone is so excited for Transparent, this Saturday is your best chance to find out why. Remember, Transparent will only be free on Jan. 24 - after that, it's back to full price.
