Apple Offering Pilot of Hulu's 'Castle Rock' Stephen King Series for Free in TV App

Apple is letting anyone in the United States with an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV watch the pilot episode of Hulu's new series Castle Rock for free through its TV app. The episode is available now for users in the U.S., and it will live in Apple's TV app for two weeks (via Engadget).

This coincides with Castle Rock's premiere on Hulu today, beginning with the first three episodes available for Hulu subscribers to watch in full. Over the next few weeks, one episode will launch each Wednesday leading into the finale with the tenth episode capping the first season.

castle rock tv app
As Engadget points out, Apple's decision to promote the show makes sense as it's one of the most anticipated new series of the summer and should get more people to jump into the company's TV app ahead of the launch of its own exclusive shows next year. Apple says this is the first time it has debuted a new series before any paywalls in the TV app, and it already offers free episodes of its own shows like Carpool Karaoke in the app.

For the show itself, Castle Rock focuses on the life of a criminal law attorney who returns to his hometown of Castle Rock, Maine when a new case about a mysterious inmate emerges from the nearby Shawshank State Penitentiary. The show uses numerous stories and locations created by author Stephen King as the backdrop for new characters and a new story in the Maine town.

The episode has already launched, so those interested can watch the pilot of Castle Rock for free in Apple's TV app right now.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tag: Hulu
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

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Top Rated Comments

Izauze Avatar
95 months ago
I'd watch Castle Rock if it were rated TV-14. But TV-MA = No deal. I'm so sick of the television/streaming networks right now; they're so saturated with "mature" material that it's become so predictable and immature.
Umm. No.
This is the golden age of television precisely *because* new companies are entering the fray and not watering their stories down to fit into some safe corporate cookie cutter mold. This is Stephen King, not Judy Blume.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
seatton Avatar
95 months ago
At least they do not shove it in your mouth.. Remember the U2 album?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Starship67 Avatar
95 months ago
At least they do not shove it in your mouth.. Remember the U2 album?
Good grief some people need to move on.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GaryMumford Avatar
95 months ago
"Apple is letting anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV watch the pilot episode of Hulu's new series Castle Rock for free.." Well not exactly "anyone", I think it's only if you live in the US
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AbSoluTc Avatar
95 months ago
I'd watch Castle Rock if it were rated TV-14. But TV-MA = No deal. I'm so sick of the television/streaming networks right now; they're so saturated with "mature" material that it's become so predictable and immature.
Are you 12? Are you from this time period??

TV-MA and you won't watch it? Do you watch R rated movies/shows?

I just can't imagine my life if I filtered it by not watching anything above a certain rating. Ugh. Just blows my mind people actually do that. Whatever works for you I suppose :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr_Brightside_@ Avatar
95 months ago
Clarified that a bit more.
Your avatar fits this story.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)