MUBI has rolled out a headline-grabbing promotion: three months of its ad-free streaming service for just $1. The boutique platform known for handpicked cinema and festival favorites is courting both newcomers and lapsed members with a steep trial that undercuts nearly every major rival on price while spotlighting a very different kind of catalog.
What the $1 MUBI deal includes and how it works
The limited-time offer gives eligible new and returning subscribers full access to MUBI for 90 days for a single dollar. After the promo window, billing reverts to the standard monthly rate—typically $14.99 in the U.S.—unless you cancel beforehand. That’s roughly $44 in savings compared with paying month to month across the same period, or about 98% off the usual price.
There are no ads, and the subscription covers MUBI’s complete lineup, including its curated “Now Showing” selections, a growing on-demand library, and the platform’s own releases. Many titles support higher-resolution playback on compatible devices, and mobile apps offer offline downloads for watching on the go.
How it compares to rivals on price, catalog, and value
At $1 for three months, this is one of the sharpest introductory prices in the streaming market right now. For context, mainstream ad-free plans from large services tend to start near or above the mid-teens per month. Even “with ads” tiers generally cost more than this entire three-month promo combined.
For cinephiles, the most apt comparison is The Criterion Channel, which sits in a similar price band and emphasizes classics and restorations. MUBI differentiates itself by anchoring its library around contemporary global cinema, festival winners, and filmmaker retrospectives—often tied to theatrical distribution it handles in various regions. The result feels more like a rotating repertory calendar than an endless algorithmic scroll.
Price-sensitive shoppers are increasingly sampling services in bursts. Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends research finds U.S. households typically juggle around four paid video subscriptions, with churn and reactivation common as consumers chase content they want at prices they like. Antenna, which tracks subscription analytics, has similarly reported that aggressive promos can entice lapsed users back. MUBI’s $1 gambit squarely targets that behavior.
What to watch on MUBI now: new releases and classics
MUBI programs a blend of acclaimed new releases, underseen gems, and director spotlights. The service has distributed and premiered buzzy festival titles in recent years—think intimate dramas and daring international features that dominated conversations at Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. Expect regular showcases featuring filmmakers such as Park Chan-wook, Mia Hansen-Løve, Kelly Reichardt, Cristian Mungiu, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, alongside rediscoveries from earlier eras.
Beyond films, you’ll find a modest but growing slate of series and docuseries, plus MUBI releases that move from theaters to streaming under the same roof. The editorial layer—contextual notes, interviews, and collections curated around themes or movements—helps you cut through choice overload and land on something meaningful in minutes.
If your watchlist skews toward awards conversation, MUBI regularly highlights prizewinners and nominees from top festivals. For those eager to explore beyond the mainstream, the platform’s “world cinema” depth—Latin American debuts, Asian indies, and European arthouse—remains a standout draw.
Key details, supported devices, and important fine print
The $1 offer applies to eligible new and returning members and is typically limited to one redemption per account. After the three-month period, standard monthly billing resumes unless you cancel. Availability can vary by region, and taxes may apply based on your location.
MUBI apps are available on major platforms, including iOS and Android mobile, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and many smart TVs from Samsung and LG. Select titles stream in higher resolutions on compatible hardware. Downloads on mobile devices support offline viewing, and profiles and watchlists keep your picks organized.
As streaming continues to command a large share of TV time—Nielsen’s The Gauge has consistently shown streaming accounting for over one-third of U.S. viewing—value-driven promos like this make it easier to rotate in a specialty service without bloating your monthly budget. If you’ve been meaning to dive into contemporary arthouse hits or revisit overlooked classics, this is a low-risk way to see whether MUBI’s curator-led model clicks for you.
Bottom line: for the price of a vending-machine snack, you’re getting a full season’s worth of movies and select series curated by people who live and breathe cinema. That’s a rare bargain in an era of rising subscription costs—and a smart invitation to broaden your cinematic diet.
