“All of these companies are trying to keep you in their ecosystem for as much time as possible,” says media analyst Rich Greenfield of a pricing plan that is more like Amazon’s content play than Netflix or Hulu.
Everything about Apple’s foray into entertainment has been big, from the anticipation that mounted after it tapped veteran studio executives to oversee the effort to the bold-faced names it lured for its early slate of programming. But when the iPhone maker unveiled the launch plan for its TV+ subscription video service on Sept. 10, it signaled that its Hollywood ambitions may not be as big as its need to sell more devices.
And Cook expects that many people won’t pay anything for the service, at least not at first. Apple will give away a year of TV+ for free to anyone who buys a qualifying device, including an iPhone, Apple TV or Mac. That pricing plan indicates that Apple sees the slate of originals it has assembled from the likes of Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey as first and foremost an added perk for loyal Apple users.
“All of these companies are trying to keep you in their ecosystem for as much time as possible,” says Greenfield, who estimates that some 200 million Apple device owners will have the ability to try out TV+ when it launches Nov. 1 in 100 countries. “If Apple can get people spending hours a week watching its content, they’re going to be more likely to buy its devices."
Still, Apple has been aggressive about growing its services business, which houses software and subscriptions like Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud, as it seeks to hit $50 billion in annual revenue by 2020. This year alone, the company will launch three new subscription offerings, including News+ for news and magazine content, the forthcoming TV+ and gaming-centric Arcade.
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