Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,194
30,135



While Apple's new TV streaming service will include its own original content, Apple will also be offering customers access to video streaming subscriptions from third-party services, such as HBO and Showtime.

Part of this effort could potentially include bundles of channels from various content providers, according to new reports from Recode and The Information.

apple-tv-app-image-800x511.jpg

Apple has negotiated rights to bundle streaming services together as part of its deals with media firms, which will allow it to offer packages of channels like HBO, Showtime, and Starz at a price that's lower than what each service would cost on a standalone basis. From Recode:
That wholesale/retail relationship also means Apple, not the streamers, can set the price for the stuff it sells. Apple isn't likely to sell, say, HBO for less than HBO sells itself on rival platforms like Roku. But it definitely plans to sell bundles of pay tv channels at a discount, just like pay TV operators have always done.
It's not entirely clear when Apple plans to offer bundles like these, but providing discounted access to a group of channels would provide Apple with an edge over Amazon. Amazon, as The Information points out, allows customers to sign up for streaming services like Showtime through their Amazon account, but customers must pay full price.

According to Recode, Apple's service isn't going to be a major Netflix or Hulu competitor because the focus is going to be on selling streaming video subscriptions from other companies and taking a cut of the transaction. Apple is working on original content, but its own shows and movies "should be considered very expensive giveaways, not the core product."

Apple is offering its content partners a revenue share that's similar to Amazon, which keeps 30 to 50 percent of the subscription fee. Apple, however, won't be offering access to as much data as Amazon provides. Still, The Information says publishers find bundling "appealing," and Apple has been touting its huge subscriber base to score deals. Apple's subscription TV content will be made available through its existing TV app which is available on the Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad.

There's no word on which channels Apple will include in bundles, but Apple has signed deals with 15 streaming channels for separate subscriptions, including digital only services like Cheddar and Tastemade and TV channels like Showtime and Starz. Apple has not yet inked a deal with HBO.

Apple is going to introduce its streaming service at its upcoming March 25 event, and the service is expected to launch in the United States later in the spring before expanding to additional countries.

Apple is also unveiling an Apple News subscription service at the event, and rumors have suggested that the TV and news services could be bundled with Apple Music as part of one subscription for Apple users. Apple is also going to announce an Apple credit card provided by Goldman Sachs.

Article Link: Apple Plans to Sell Bundles of Cable TV Channels Through New Streaming Service
 

macduke

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,100
19,598
I want bundles based on channel type, such as science, sports, food, travel, etc. But my AT&T WatchTV at $15/mo is hard to beat right now since I don't really need sports. Although I also find myself watching less traditional TV channels and watching more content on YouTube as well as Netflix. The production value on YouTube is pretty high on many channels nowadays.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nekonokami

Dave245

macrumors G3
Sep 15, 2013
9,730
7,926
How will this work for us in the U.K? It’s expected that the service will launch in 100 countries by the end of the year.
 

Juicy Box

macrumors 604
Sep 23, 2014
7,517
8,846
This is not going to get me to replace the cord I cut with their streaming service if it includes bundled garbage I'll never watch.

Me too.

I really dislike watching traditional cable. I cut the cord 6ish years ago, and have no interest going back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RabbitLuvr

Beyo

macrumors member
May 29, 2017
91
45
Poznań
Article written just for writing. And on Monday there will be another article confirming the rumor with this article...."journalism" :/

Other countries “coming soon”, never to hear from them getting it again.

Correct. Such service has no sense without content providers that are all US-based (With the exception of british stations) so Apple will say at the end of the year "we tried, but we decided to focus on US"

I wish they introduced buying TV shows in Poland.
 

CarlJ

macrumors 604
Feb 23, 2004
6,971
12,133
San Diego, CA, USA
Other countries “coming soon”, never to hear from them getting it again.
To be fair, that likely has a lot to do with working through the maze of licensing deals that the content creators / studios / cable companies have in each country. It’s not just a matter of translating to other languages, like for many other apps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nekonokami

JohnDoe98

macrumors 68020
May 1, 2009
2,488
99
To be fair, that likely has a lot to do with working through the maze of licensing deals that the content creators / studios / cable companies have in each country. It’s not just a matter of translating to other languages, like for many other apps.

Right, which explains why Apple hasn’t even submitted an application for the Apple Watch with health Canada to allow the ekg setting.
 

ugahairydawgs

macrumors 68030
Jun 10, 2010
2,956
2,454
Really interested in what this is going to be. Any kind of service like this for me is dead without a great offering of live sports. Things like HBO, Showtime, etc are of zero interest to me, but a wide range of football and baseball (so basically ESPN and all of their related channels as well as the Fox RSNs) would be super appealing to me.

That said....I don't figure this is a hill Apple will attempt to scale.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Intellectua1

jlseattle

Cancelled
Jan 9, 2007
501
356
Seattle WA
I’ll watch this play out. I’m happy I have no appetite for new content. I’m completely full. Hulu, prime, YouTube, personal library, yep no more room.
 
  • Like
Reactions: derekamoss

LordVic

Cancelled
Sep 7, 2011
5,938
12,458
Other countries “coming soon”, never to hear from them getting it again.

yup. likely to happen up here. if Apple is going to go the route of "content delivery" similar to cable channels, than they will likely run afoul of Canadian content regulations from the CRTC which mandate that Cable networks must have a certain mininum of Canadian developed/produced content.

Even Netflix hasn't been immune to running into that wall. Will Apple be willing to invest to produce Canadian made shows and movies? or will they balk and walk away from the market?
 
  • Like
Reactions: freedomlinux

Romeo_Nightfall

macrumors 65816
Aug 8, 2018
1,004
881
Vienna
W
To be fair, that likely has a lot to do with working through the maze of licensing deals that the content creators / studios / cable companies have in each country. It’s not just a matter of translating to other languages, like for many other apps.

Who cares about them
 

Syrgul

macrumors member
Mar 17, 2015
58
45
To be fair, that likely has a lot to do with working through the maze of licensing deals that the content creators / studios / cable companies have in each country. It’s not just a matter of translating to other languages, like for many other apps.

Correct, and it's basically that that has crippled many of the US based streaming services from ever launching here in Canada. Back when Netflix first launched, it only had like, less than 10% of the content Netflix US got. And by some articles I've read, CBSAllAccess is similar. The Canadian version has little of anything live, and it's mostly dominated by a library of re-run shows.
 

JagdTiger

macrumors 6502
Dec 20, 2017
479
696



While Apple's new TV streaming service will include its own original content, Apple will also be offering customers access to video streaming subscriptions from third-party services, such as HBO and Showtime.

Part of this effort could potentially include bundles of channels from various content providers, according to new reports from Recode and The Information.

apple-tv-app-image-800x511.jpg

Apple has negotiated rights to bundle streaming services together as part of its deals with media firms, which will allow it to offer packages of channels like HBO, Showtime, and Starz at a price that's lower than what each service would cost on a standalone basis. From Recode:It's not entirely clear when Apple plans to offer bundles like these, but providing discounted access to a group of channels would provide Apple with an edge over Amazon. Amazon, as The Information points out, allows customers to sign up for streaming services like Showtime through their Amazon account, but customers must pay full price.

According to Recode, Apple's service isn't going to be a major Netflix or Hulu competitor because the focus is going to be on selling streaming video subscriptions from other companies and taking a cut of the transaction. Apple is working on original content, but its own shows and movies "should be considered very expensive giveaways, not the core product."

Apple is offering its content partners a revenue share that's similar to Amazon, which keeps 30 to 50 percent of the subscription fee. Apple, however, won't be offering access to as much data as Amazon provides. Still, The Information says publishers find bundling "appealing," and Apple has been touting its huge subscriber base to score deals. Apple's subscription TV content will be made available through its existing TV app which is available on the Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad.

There's no word on which channels Apple will include in bundles, but Apple has signed deals with 15 streaming channels for separate subscriptions, including digital only services like Cheddar and Tastemade and TV channels like Showtime and Starz. Apple has not yet inked a deal with HBO.

Apple is going to introduce its streaming service at its upcoming March 25 event, and the service is expected to launch in the United States later in the spring before expanding to additional countries.

Apple is also unveiling an Apple News subscription service at the event, and rumors have suggested that the TV and news services could be bundled with Apple Music as part of one subscription for Apple users. Apple is also going to announce an Apple credit card provided by Goldman Sachs.

Article Link: Apple Plans to Sell Bundles of Cable TV Channels Through New Streaming Service

While this is good for televison and film watchers it would be nice if apple did a streaming gaming service directly to the iPad.
 

Romeo_Nightfall

macrumors 65816
Aug 8, 2018
1,004
881
Vienna
yup. likely to happen up here. if Apple is going to go the route of "content delivery" similar to cable channels, than they will likely run afoul of Canadian content regulations from the CRTC which mandate that Cable networks must have a certain mininum of Canadian developed/produced content.

Even Netflix hasn't been immune to running into that wall. Will Apple be willing to invest to produce Canadian made shows and movies? or will they balk and walk away from the market?

Canada has an own market, guess You didn’t realize the usmc trade agreement
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.