The BBC has picked up the rights to show the Apple TV+ show "Trying" via its traditional TV and iPlayer offerings.
The deal will see the first three seasons of the show, starring Rafe Spall and Esther Smith, available for free outside the U.S. The first season will be available September 8, 2025.
Apple is set to premiere the fifth season of "Trying" on its pay-for Apple TV+ service soon. The BBC also has an option to buy season four onwards, according to a Deadline report on the deal.
While the report claims this to be the first deal of its kind, it follows a similar deal for "Suspicion". That deal saw ITVX buy the rights for the thriller in early 2025.
However, "Suspicion" was a commission from Apple TV+ and is based on an Israeli show called "False Flag." Apple's "Trying" is an in-house affair.
"Trying" is a comedy that follows a couple's attempts to become pregnant, who ultimately adopt a child. It's also the longest-running Apple TV+ sitcom.
That alone makes the deal an interesting proposition for both the BBC and Apple. For the former, it gets access to new content that has already proven a hit on a paid-for streaming service.
For Apple, allowing the first three seasons to become available for free can act as a teaser of sorts. It will surely hope that viewers sign up to Apple TV+ for the remaining seasons.
The Apple TV+ streaming service is available on just about anything that has a display these days. Far from only offered on Apple devices, the Apple TV app can be downloaded on TVs, game consoles, streaming sticks, and more.
Subscribers in the U.S. were recently hit with an Apple TV+ price hike. Having previously cost $9.99 per month, viewers must now fork out $12.99. The price increase has not yet affected the price of the Apple One bundle.
