Apple Streaming To Cost $9.99 For Original TV Shows

The Apple event at Cupertino, California on March 25 will be a watershed as it kickstarts the top technology company’s transformation into a big ticket digital service provider.

Flashes of its plans and business models were revealed in a report by The Wall Street Journal. According to the report, Apple will offer subscriptions to channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz at the rate of $9.99 a month each and exclude Netflix from the platform.

It said Apple would also unveil its News subscription plan at the event in addition to the Apple streaming service TV platform.

The Cupertino event in California at 1 p.m. Eastern Time will also unveil Apple’s own content efforts. At the Steve Jobs Theater, Apple CEO Tim Cook will present the streaming video service and news subscriptions plans as part of the expanding services. The event may also see Apple mooting a monthly video games subscription plan.

Live footage of some of the forthcoming TV programs will be telecast on a new TV app.

The new offerings are expected to bolster Apple’s services revenue, on which the tech giant has been working on as the sale of its flagship devices including iPhones has plummeted.

On news service, users can access a range of publications via the app for a fixed monthly fee. However, major publishers, The New York Times and The Washington Post have excused from the plan.

Apple had purchased digital magazine service Texture in 2018, offering readers access to 200 magazines for the same price.

Cable killer strategy more than aiming Netflix

Despite Apple insiders seeking to describe the new Apple video service as Netflix-killer, the business model looks like more of a cable-killer with users getting the flexibility to subscribe to so many streaming providers with a single click.

The report also said access to Apple’s original content will not be free for Apple users, contrary to reports that said it would be free for users of Apple devices. However, the exact price of the service is yet to be worked out.

Apple’s third-party channel offerings will come from a slew original TV series such as top creators Reese Witherspoon and J.J. Abrams.

Apple’s premium subscription plans to the News app including the Wall Street Journal will be for $9.99 a month.

Apple seems to be offering a bonanza for TV networks for joining its service with subscriptions at a standardized $9.99 monthly rate.

The company is also in talks with manufacturers to bring the Apple streaming service TV to Roku and smart TVs, to make the programming get a wider range of customers.

In January Apple offered iTunes to a number of smart TVs. Apple has used this strategy in Apple Music as well, allowing users to stream music on Amazon Echo speakers and Fire TVs.

Wireless charger release date likely

Meanwhile, there is also a likelihood of Apple announcing the release date for its wireless charger, AirPower at the event.

One more possibility is the unveiling of an iPhone-integrated financial service around credit card by Goldman Sachs.

“While video and news services have dominated recent press reports, we believe Apple will also extend its payment and ad services sometime this year with any announcements in these areas serving as positive surprises,” Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty commented.

Apple continues to roll out new products. On Wednesday Apple announced its next-generation wireless earbuds with a wireless charging case with access to its Siri voice assistant. The set from the apple store is priced $199 and $159 in premium and standard versions.