THE tech giant best known for its iPhones, iPads and Macbooks launches its own TV and movie streaming service today in more than 100 countries, including the UK. How will Apple TV+ fare in the competitive streaming service market?
How much is it?
It’s £4.99 per month in the UK and $4.99 in the US, offering a free year-long trial to anyone who purchases an Apple device, or a free seven-day trial for anyone who wants to see what it’s all about.
Is it offering anything different, though?
Apple is banking on the appeal of its original content, with its flagship offering ‘The Morning Show’, leading the way. It’s a comedy-drama starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell about life on a US TV show.
What else?
Oprah Winfrey has signed up to do ‘Oprah’s Book Club’, a bi-monthly show that ties in with her selections from her book club on Apple Books. There’s also a horror series, See, starring Jason Momoa, of Aquaman fame, while Steven Spielberg is reviving his classic sci-fi anthology series, Amazing Stories, for the service.
Other highlights?
A cartoon ‘Snoopy in Space’, an adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 movie, Time Bandits, and Dickinson, a comedy about the poet Emily Dickinson, starring Hailee Steinfeld.
How do you watch it?
Via the Apple TV app, available on most smart TVs, smart TV apps and Apple products.
And it will feature external broadcasters?
It's going to offer options to subscribe to content from others, such as US channels HBO and Showtime. Netflix has "chosen not to integrate" with this service, though.
It’s a competitive market?
Netflix and Amazon Prime are leaders, but the market is crowded and Disney+ is launching in parts of the world later this month, although a UK date for its arrival has yet to be announced. It’s likely been delayed in Britain due to a tie-up with Disney and Sky – Sky presently has a channel, Sky Cinema Disney, and the contract doesn’t expire until next year, which may preclude Disney from airing its own movies on its own platform.
Are rivals on edge?
Netflix said in October that it has been "preparing for this new wave of competition for a long time". It is focusing on its own future, having just announced a $2 billion bond deal, continuing its practice of taking on new debt to fund content.
Apple are confident?
Analysts at Morgan Stanley forecast the TV+ marketplace could be worth $9 billion to Apple by 2025, with 136 million paid subscribers to the service by that point.
Netflix has...?
More than 158 million paying subscribers worldwide, while Amazon Prime’s worldwide subscribers are now over 75 million and could reach 100 million by the end of 2020.
It's all about the money?
In August, the Financial Times reported the tech giant has committed to spending more than $6 billion on content for the new service as Apple raises the stakes to take a big bite out of the streaming industry.
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