Dropout Lets You Voluntarily Pay More for Your Subscription

As several streaming platforms quietly raise subscription fees — looking at you, HBO Max — Dropout has taken a different tack: giving fans the choice to pay more for extra perks.

In a short video released Tuesday, Dropout CEO and Game Changer host Sam Reich unveiled a new annual Superfan subscription. The tier is listed at $129.99 annually but is temporarily available for $97.49. It bundles Patreon-style bonuses — additional behind-the-scenes footage, a 10% discount in the Dropout store, and access to limited merchandise — all aimed at superfans who want to support the shows directly.

The Superfan option follows Dropout’s April notice that the platform’s monthly price would increase by $1 for new sign-ups. Dropout currently charges $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year; longtime subscribers who joined before May 7 continue to pay the previous $5.99 monthly rate.

Reich says the reaction to that earlier change was surprising: many veteran subscribers didn’t balk at the increase — some even wanted to pay the higher rate or more. Others considered canceling and resubscribing just to meet the updated pricing. The Superfan membership is Dropout’s way of letting people voluntarily contribute at a higher level while receiving extra benefits in return.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=HSdF2qVdwrU%22+title%3D%22Dropout+Superfan+announcement%22+frameborder%3D%220%22+allow%3D%22accelerometer%3B+autoplay%3B+encrypted-media%3B+gyroscope%3B+picture-in-picture%22+allowfullscreen+style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute%3Btop%3A0%3Bleft%3A0%3Bwidth%3A100%25%3Bheight%3A100%25%3B

In the video Reich is candid about keeping Dropout affordable so it remains accessible. He also notes that production costs are rising and that the Superfan tier will underwrite forthcoming projects — including scripted and animated shows he teased in the announcement.

Dropout and Reich have also publicly embraced password sharing in the past, and that stance remains unchanged. Reich addresses viewers who use friends’ accounts directly in the announcement, quipping that “those of you on a friend’s account, you arguably have the very best deal of all.”

Read more: Dropout subscription changes • Superfan membership details • Dropout on password sharing

Source: Polygon