Apple insists that the goal is to try and convince people to subscribe to Apple TV+ separately and not as a replacement to some other over-the-top product.Apple TV+ will not be a Netflix killer, instead it is aimed to sit alongside other over-the-top services, said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a conference call with investors after the company announced its second quarter results.
Apple’s premium video streaming service with exclusive shows from big names like Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg was announced in March this year. Though Apple did not reveal details like subscription cost, the service will rival Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and and Disney Co’s upcoming stream service.
Apple TV+ will be available across all iOS devices starting this fall. Apple insists that the goal is to try and convince people to subscribe to Apple TV+ separately and not as a replacement to some other over-the-top product. With Apple TV+, the company is betting on exclusive shows from big guns of the entertainment industry to draw users.
“We think that most users are going to get multiple over-the-top products, and we’re going to do our best to convince them that the Apple TV+ product should be one of them,” Cook said in the call.
Also read: Apple TV+ will feature originals with Jennifer Aniston, Oprah, Spielberg: Here is everything to know
Apple has pulled in Winfrey for two documentaries series, which will clearly be one of the highlights. Then there is ‘The Morning Show’ with Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon as well as ‘Amazing Stories’ with Spielberg. At its special event in March, Apple gave a glimpse of its upcoming shows, which also include ‘See’ starring Jason Momoa.
Meanwhile, Netflix does not seem to be too worried by competition from Apple and Disney as it said in its quarterly letter to shareholders in Q1 2019 that both the companies are world class consumer brands and “we’re excited to compete”.
Apple has pulled in Winfrey for two documentaries series, which will clearly be one of the highlights.Netflix also believes that its growth will not be hampered by these “new entrants” given the differing nature of their content offerings and massive demand for on-demand entertainment. Netflix has its own bouquet of popular exclusive shows like ‘Stranger Things’ ‘Orange Is The New Black’, ‘The Umbrella Academy’, and more.
Netflix claimed over 45 million people globally watched the movie ‘Bird Box’, which stars Sandra Bullock, in the first seven days f its release on the platform.
But even though Netflix says it is not threatened by the competition, it recently pulled support for AirPlay, owing to “technical limitations”. The removal of AirPlay support means Apple TV users can no longer cast Netflix content from their phone to the device.
As for Apple TV+, it will be available to third-party devices such as Samsung, LG, Vizio and Sony television sets via AirPlay support and the new Apple TV app. Apple’s app will also arrive on Amazon Fire TV stick, which is a first.
With inputs from Reuters
