Verizon offers subscribers up to a year of ‘free’ AMC+ streaming

Verizon (currently Engadget’s parent company) is still betting on streaming bonuses to win over new subscribers. The carrier has launched a promo that gives Fios and wireless subscribers up to a year of ‘free’ AMC+ streaming. Not surprisingly, you’ll only get the full 12 months if you spend the most — you’ll have to either sign up for a Mix & Match Fios plan or activate a new line on one of the network’s better unlimited wireless plans (Play More, Do More or Get More) while buying one of the company’s “best” 5G-capable phones.

Cellular subscribers who either activate a Start Unlimited plan or upgrade to a top-tier 5G phone on an existing line will get a more modest six months of AMC+ service. The promo expires for Fios customers on February 10th, 2022, but there’s no mention of an expiry date for wireless.

Verizon isn’t shy about the timing — The Walking Dead season 11 premieres August 22nd for most viewers, and the company is clearly hoping to reel in customers who want to watch more of AMC’s humans-are-the-real-monsters drama. We’d add that this comes just a day after Samsung revealed the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 — the bonus AMC+ access could serve as an incentive to update your phone.

The question, as with other carrier perks, is whether or not this is really adding value. Verizon already gives all its users at least six months of Disney+, Discovery+, Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass and Apple Music — if you aren’t a hardcore Walking Dead fan, what’s another service you’ll try a few times and cancel? There’s also the question of pricing — what if you were comfortable dropping the freebies in return for a lower rate? While networks like Verizon don’t say how much it costs to offer bonuses like this, there’s a mounting concern that the costs could add up.