Attention Subtitles Enthusiasts! Big Changes Ahead for OpenSubtitles.org API As the familiar landscape of online movie subtitle searches undergoes a transformation, OpenSubtitles.org has announced the end of its original API service in 2022. A significant shift in its system has been set in motion, marking the end of an era after 17 years of reliable […]
They did do donations but maybe it wasn’t enough 🤷 https://blog.opensubtitles.com/opensubtitles/thank-you-for-donations
It wouldn’t surprise me if “VIP” was originally a tier given for donations which had some benefits.
Edit: that’s indeed the case https://blog.opensubtitles.com/opensubtitles/free-vip-membership-for-first-20-users
Do they have a transparent budget on how the donations are used? Anyone can claim the donations weren’t enough to survive.