Apple's Latest Video Strategy: Give it Away to Device Owners
In the latest chapter of the years-long waiting game for Apple to announce a video service, CNBC reports the company's latest plan is to give away its premium content to Apple TV or iOS device owners. Citing "people familiar with the matter," CNBC says Apple will use its own produced premium content to attract viewers to its platform, then attempt to sell them on subscriptions to third-party services such as HBO and Starz.
Apple has already created programs such as "Carpool Karaoke" and "Planet of the Apps," and will reportedly spend $1 billion this year on original programming. It's on the hunt for tent pole franchises that will attract a wide viewership, but that are also free of sex and violence.
When the service launches, device owners will find the free content in Apple's pre-installed TV app. The idea is to create a central destination that provides all the viewer's content choices in one place. "Carpool Karaoke" is already free in the app, but watching "Planet of the Apps" requires an Apple Music subscription.
Apple is currently in development or production with around two dozen projects, including a drama called "Are You Sleeping," which will star Octavia Spencer and is about a podcast that reopens a murder investigation. Apple also has deals with Oprah Winfrey and Sesame Street.
Related Articles
Unconfirmed reports say Apple's Apple+ subscription video service will debut by November with a monthly price of $9.99.
20 Aug 2019
Is the long-awaited Apple TV OTT service nearing launch? Apple told its entertainment partners to be ready, says one report.
29 Jan 2019
In a rare expansion outside its ecosystem, Apple works with Samsung for streaming video support ahead of its service launch.
07 Jan 2019
While a late entrant to the OTT space, Apple has big plans, taking its free service to over 100 countries shortly after launch.
24 Oct 2018
What's better than single sign-on? Never signing on, at all. Also, people will be able to get up to 32 participants on a FaceTime chat starting this fall.
04 Jun 2018
Company finally catches up with Roku, hints that the new video encoder for iPhone 8 and iPhone X is HEVC
12 Sep 2017
There may be peace in our time between Amazon and Apple. While that's good news for home streamers, it suggests Apple is no longer interested in creating a skinny bundle.
15 Jun 2017