Apple TV Plus has seen a huge boost of new subscribers following CODA‘s win of Best Picture at the 2022 Oscars.
The streaming giant saw a 25 percent rise in subscriber count following the win, with the film itself seeing a 300 percent increase in views compared to the week before, Variety reports.
The Oscar win for the film is not only a milestone because of it being a film with a predominantly Deaf cast — a first in the Academy’s history — but also because it is the first movie put out by a streaming service to win the coveted top prize.
Not only that, but Troy Kotsur is also the first deaf actor to win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and the second Deaf actor to win an Oscar overall, following Marlee Matlin — who also starred in CODA — and her 1987 Best Actress win for Children of a Lesser God.
Although you may choose to subscribe to the streaming service to see what all the buzz is about, you don’t necessarily have to in order to enjoy the movie. Apple Studios was apparently so pleased with all the accolades it received, they are releasing it to over 600 U.S. theaters beginning Friday — that includes open captions for accessibility for the Deaf and hard of hearing communities.
It remains to be seen whether the new subscribers will drop off once they watch CODA — which is an acronym for child of Deaf adult(s) — or keep the service month over month for the long term. Apple TV Plus offers a seven-day trial — at a price point of $4.99 per month — and it gives away three months of the streaming service for free for those who purchase new electronics from the company, such as iPhones or Apple TV 4K boxes.
In addition to winning Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Kotsur’s performance, the director, Siân Heder, also picked up an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.