Apple plans to launch its new streaming service, Apple TV+, in November of this year. But what’s special about TV+, how much does it cost, and why is Apple trying to join the streaming war in 2019?
TV+ Will Be an Extension of the TV App
The Apple TV app (and the company’s streaming boxes) are honestly wonderful. They have a clean interface, and they provide access to a variety of streaming services. You can even subscribe to services like HBO through the Apple TV app.
So it’s no surprise that TV+ will be an extension of the Apple TV app. In practice, this may look like Amazon’s Fire TV homepage, where you get to see popular offerings from Prime TV mixed with the launch apps for other streaming services.
One thing we know for sure is that TV+ will be ad-free. That’s been one of Apple’s selling points since the service was announced on March 2019. Although the lack of ads may make it difficult for Apple to turn a quick profit on TV+, considering how much the company is paying for its new shows.
Apple’s Already Spent $6 Billion on Its Unproven Shows
You know how Game of Thrones is the most expensive TV show ever made? Each episode of Game of Thrones’ final season cost HBO $15 million—a budget that was allotted due to the show’s popularity and profitability.
But what if HBO dropped $15 million on a brand new, totally unproven show? Well, that’s exactly what Apple’s doing with one of its new serials. The company is reportedly spending $300 million to produce 20 episodes of The Morning Show, a comedy-drama starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, and Reese Witherspoon.
Apple is dropping a total of $6 billion on its 40 new shows and movies. Some of these shows, like For All Mankind, The Morning Show, and Peanuts in Space, are set to debut this year. Others, including Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, a show based on the novel Pachinko, and a period comedy about Emily Dickinson (yes, that Emily Dickinson) will come out in either late 2019 or early 2020.
You can view the full list of Apple’s original TV shows and movies on Wikipedia.
It Will Cost $10 a Month (Probably)
As reported by Bloomberg, Apple TV+ will cost $10 a month. That puts the service in sort of a mid-range category—it will cost more than Disney+ ($7 a month) but less than Netflix’s Standard plan ($12 a month). As you’d expect, Apple will also offer a free month-long trial for TV+.
