A pay/ad hybrid models seems to be what worked best over time for content delivery, whether it be with newspapers, magazines, or television. The good thing about most premium streaming services is that you have a choice of going with ads or ad-free, at least for now.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple and Paramount Considering Discounted TV+ Streaming Bundle
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
A pay/ad hybrid models seems to be what worked best over time for content delivery, whether it be with newspapers, magazines, or television. The good thing about most premium streaming services is that you have a choice of going with ads or ad-free, at least for now.
This would be nothing new. We already had this bundle before, when Paramount+ was still CBS All Access and did not include Showtime:
I had it until they cancelled it a while a go and thought it was a good deal.
Apple TV+ subscribers get CBS All Access and SHOWTIME bundle at a great value
Apple TV+ subscribers in the US can get a special offer for both CBS All Access and SHOWTIME through Apple TV channels for only $9.99 per month.
www.apple.com
I had it until they cancelled it a while a go and thought it was a good deal.
Exactly, I’ve been saying this for years since back in the copper phone line days, then cable, then fiber.
My experience with local governments doing it has…not been positive. But neither has my experience with private ISPs in cases where they didn’t want to run the actual cable where it needed to go.
If we had one public company whose only job was to do a great job running fiber everywhere, and then leasing that to ISPs, I think that would work so much better. Will never happen, but would be great.
If they do I hope that would mean that Paramount+ has to change how their damn app works.
Just love being forced to watch a 30-50 second ad I can't skip when I start one of their shows on the "ad free" plan.
Just love being forced to watch a 30-50 second ad I can't skip when I start one of their shows on the "ad free" plan.
Curious timing on some of these….uhh…. Bundles…..(of excrement) soon to include :
Warner Brothers
Discovery
Sony
Lions Gate
after the FU Heard Round The World….
🍿🍿🍿
Warner Brothers
Discovery
Sony
Lions Gate
after the FU Heard Round The World….
🍿🍿🍿
How does it affect your life that Apple is in the content creation business?
Apple/Paramount can spin it anyway they want but this move reeks of desperation. One or both of them is feeling the effects of the constant price hikes. Voting with your wallet is always a winning strategy.
Apple, just get it over with and buy one of these streaming services
I’m all for bundling now that all these streaming apps chopped up who gets what show. Wanted to watch some old episodes of Friends and somehow it’s on Max. Not gonna sign up for another streaming service just to watch a few hours of Friends.
I routinely cancel services after I have watched everything I want on that service. Then, I usually pick another service to subscribe to. I typically keep a couple going at any one point in time.
I'm currently subscribed to AppleTV+ (because "For All Mankind") and Prime (first time trying it, and will let it go in a month or so).
Paramount+ is typically only on my subscription list when there is a new Star Trek series.
I haven't subscribed to Netflix in a long while though -- I never seem to find something I want to watch, and the price keeps going up up up!
I did subscribe to Hulu for 1 year to get not only the discounted rate, but to avoid a price increase. After about 7 or 8 months, I felt like I had seen all I wanted, so I didn't use it much after that and cancelled after the year was up.
I don't mind a year contract for something I can see myself definitely using for a year (like my phone service), but I can't see myself signing up for a year of streaming because I get bored with the service before the year is up.
There's some good content on AppleTV+. They were impacted by strikes both at the start of the service, and then this past year, so it's not a service I keep continually, but there are a couple of very good shows that I like!
Given that services is such a big part of the company revenue now, I don't see them exiting the business unless they are not making money on it.
I now get my ATV+ through T-Mobile for no charge and my Netflix through T-Mobile at a deeply discounted monthly price. I canceled Hulu and other services. Streamers of the World Unite!!
For the past four years I've done the Black Friday special getting Hulu for $0.99 monthly for a year (new email address each year). This year they took it a step further with adding Disney+ to it for another $3 per month for a year. Not free, but certainly discounted, as long as there's a mute button available for when the endless Hims.com ads come on.
What does Captain Kirk say about all this?!
Has Star Fleet approved this joint Apple-Paramount operation?! 🙈 🚀 📺
We're always amazed by folks that say there's nothing interesting to watch on streaming service X or Y, or that they've watched everything worthwhile on it.
Netflix gets lots of heat that way, but it's filled with scores of past and current gems. There are incredible international productions, cross-cultural family, corporate, and legal comedies and dramas that are engaging, edifying, and entertaining. Many are long-running series that provide hours and even weeks of viewing pleasure.
Alas, the services hear the detractors and the bored. They have designed their interfaces to irritatingly shove shows in viewers' faces rather than let us easily pick up where we left off. Continue Watching is typically buried below rows of promotion of other content. They'll even interrupt the start of shows to push some other show — and will automatically start playing a different show near the end even before the credits have fully rolled!
Netflix is less obtrusive about that in some respects, although just today, rather than letting viewers go to a show, they’re pushing their service with ads at a discount. In other words, they're hitting us with an ad on a non-ad subscription to promote their ad service. Clearly, they make more money off the discounted services with ads, but many us never want to go back to that.
Finally, who cares about this possible joint Apple TV - Paramount service, anyway?! There’s nothing interesting on either of them; nothing worth watching at all! /s
Has Star Fleet approved this joint Apple-Paramount operation?! 🙈 🚀 📺
We're always amazed by folks that say there's nothing interesting to watch on streaming service X or Y, or that they've watched everything worthwhile on it.
Netflix gets lots of heat that way, but it's filled with scores of past and current gems. There are incredible international productions, cross-cultural family, corporate, and legal comedies and dramas that are engaging, edifying, and entertaining. Many are long-running series that provide hours and even weeks of viewing pleasure.
Alas, the services hear the detractors and the bored. They have designed their interfaces to irritatingly shove shows in viewers' faces rather than let us easily pick up where we left off. Continue Watching is typically buried below rows of promotion of other content. They'll even interrupt the start of shows to push some other show — and will automatically start playing a different show near the end even before the credits have fully rolled!
Netflix is less obtrusive about that in some respects, although just today, rather than letting viewers go to a show, they’re pushing their service with ads at a discount. In other words, they're hitting us with an ad on a non-ad subscription to promote their ad service. Clearly, they make more money off the discounted services with ads, but many us never want to go back to that.
Finally, who cares about this possible joint Apple TV - Paramount service, anyway?! There’s nothing interesting on either of them; nothing worth watching at all! /s
You know, I’m only subscribed to two streaming services, and I rarely use either. I get access to them as parts of bundles. I’ve got the Apple One bundle because I use Apple Music all the time, and I’ll play an Apple Arcade game or watch something on Apple TV+ once in a while. (Most recently, I’ve watched some of the Peanuts specials, and it’s fun to revisit Sneaky Sasquatch from time to time to see what new stuff’s been added.)
The other service I have is Amazon Prime Video, which I never use. Of course, I’m a Prime subscriber, mostly for the fast shipping and for Amazon’s availability of stuff that I just can’t find locally*. I don’t actually use any of Amazon Prime’s other offerings, to be honest, but I buy enough on Amazon to justify the cost of Prime just for Prime shipping.
But there’s definitely something of a tier list of streaming services (based on popularity of properties, familiarity, quality), that much is obvious to me, and Paramount+ doesn’t seem to be top tier. Top tier probably includes Netflix (Stranger Things is still really popular, after all), maybe Hulu, probably Disney+ (but I’m not sure how good any of their exclusives are, and I’m tired of how oversaturated the market is with Star Wars content now**). Second tier might be Apple TV+ (I do hear a lot of buzz around multiple Apple TV+ shows, not just Ted Lasso), Paramount+ (really, though, the only thing I hear people talk about, in terms of Paramount+ properties, is Star Trek, which is also oversaturated), maybe HBO Max (but honestly, I’ve never heard a single good thing about HBO Max exclusives). Third tier is definitely Peacock (I never hear anything, good or bad, about Peacock content) and Amazon Prime Video. Everything else is a niche streaming service.
* Mind you, I’m in NYC, it surprises me how limited shopping is here compared to the outside; oh sure, luxury goods are more widely available, but there just isn’t much of a selection for, say, electronics other than the national big box retailers. Same goes for clothing, and a lot of other goods, too.
** This coming from a casual-ish Star Wars fan. New Star Wars content used to be a real treat, something to look forward to. I was legit excited when The Phantom Menace came out because it meant that there was going to be a new Star Wars movie in my lifetime. Now it happens two or three times a year. Neither Hollywood nor the major gaming companies can really let a property sit fallow for a while to build anticipation, everything has to be a yearly series now.
The other service I have is Amazon Prime Video, which I never use. Of course, I’m a Prime subscriber, mostly for the fast shipping and for Amazon’s availability of stuff that I just can’t find locally*. I don’t actually use any of Amazon Prime’s other offerings, to be honest, but I buy enough on Amazon to justify the cost of Prime just for Prime shipping.
But there’s definitely something of a tier list of streaming services (based on popularity of properties, familiarity, quality), that much is obvious to me, and Paramount+ doesn’t seem to be top tier. Top tier probably includes Netflix (Stranger Things is still really popular, after all), maybe Hulu, probably Disney+ (but I’m not sure how good any of their exclusives are, and I’m tired of how oversaturated the market is with Star Wars content now**). Second tier might be Apple TV+ (I do hear a lot of buzz around multiple Apple TV+ shows, not just Ted Lasso), Paramount+ (really, though, the only thing I hear people talk about, in terms of Paramount+ properties, is Star Trek, which is also oversaturated), maybe HBO Max (but honestly, I’ve never heard a single good thing about HBO Max exclusives). Third tier is definitely Peacock (I never hear anything, good or bad, about Peacock content) and Amazon Prime Video. Everything else is a niche streaming service.
* Mind you, I’m in NYC, it surprises me how limited shopping is here compared to the outside; oh sure, luxury goods are more widely available, but there just isn’t much of a selection for, say, electronics other than the national big box retailers. Same goes for clothing, and a lot of other goods, too.
** This coming from a casual-ish Star Wars fan. New Star Wars content used to be a real treat, something to look forward to. I was legit excited when The Phantom Menace came out because it meant that there was going to be a new Star Wars movie in my lifetime. Now it happens two or three times a year. Neither Hollywood nor the major gaming companies can really let a property sit fallow for a while to build anticipation, everything has to be a yearly series now.
In the previous bundle you had to subscribe to the Apple TV channel, so you wouldn't use Paramount's app at all. Never had a problem watching the channel in the Apple TV app.
That's great to hear. I've used it via the Amazon app and the standalone Paramount+ app and it was unpleasant.
No sarcasm needed. It would be great. Make it something like $50 per month ad-free and it would be awesome.
That's weird. I've been using Paramount+ ad-free for about 6 months and have never seen an ad (other than product placements in shows, of course) on any device I've tried -- iPhone, iPad, in a browser, an Apple TV, and a TV with Roku.
I feel like if these guys teamed up at a decent price it would indeed be a better offer and a more solid competitor against Netflix / Disney+ / Amazon Prime. I recently cancelled Apple TV+ (again) because for me, it struggles to justify itself because the content isn't really strong and broad enough on its own, especially at the new inflated £8.99 monthly price. I'll jump back in when there's a new season of Severance, though!