Bloomberg today published a report that includes a few rather interesting tidbits and alleged numbers concerning Apple’s video-streaming service, dubbed Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ debuted more than six months ago on November 1, 2019, with original video programming and no older TV shows and movies. The decision to focus on a slate of unique, original shows has cost Apple TV+ competitiveness in this highly competitive business.
Although the Cupertino tech giant has been introducing new programming on a regular basis, Apple TV+ currently offers less than three-dozen original shows and movies versus literally thousands of original and licensed TV shows and movies that are available on Netflix.
TUTORIAL: How to sign up for Apple TV+
According to a new report from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple TV+ in February 2020 crossed its ten millionth subscriber. This is the first solid number we have in terms of Apple TV+ viewership because Apple isn’t revealing any Apple TV+ stats yet.
The figure takes into account those folks who have taken advantage of Apple’s rather generous 12-month free trial, but “only about half of that number have actively used the service”.
By comparison, Disney’s video-streaming service, which made its debut a month after Apple TV+, signed up more than ten million subscribers within a single day of its United States launch and has surpassed 50 million subscribers as of May 2020. As for Netflix, the company added almost 16 million customers in the first quarter of 2020 alone.
Gurman says Apple’s now decided to purchase rights to older content despite Tim Cook’s recent comment that it wouldn’t feel right for Apple TV+ “to just go out and take a rerun”.
TUTORIAL: How to get free access to Apple TV+
The article states that the iPhone maker is reportedly licensing other people’s shows in a bid to build a strong back catalog of third-party TV shows and shows, which should make its service more attractive to new subscribers and better compete with the likes of Netflix and others.
Apple is acquiring older movies and shows for its TV+ streaming service, aiming to build a back catalog of content that can better stack up against the huge libraries available on Netflix, Hulu and Disney+.
And this:
The company’s video-programming executives have taken pitches from Hollywood studios about licensing older content for TV+ and have bought some shows and movies. The company plans to keep Apple TV+ focused on original shows and hasn’t yet acquired any huge franchises or blockbusters for its back catalog.
Apple TV+ is available via the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, select Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, Roku devices and on the web at tv.apple.com.
The service costs $5 per month after a seven-day free trial. New Apple device owners can get one full year of free service. Visit apple.com/promo for more information.
Are you subscribed to Apple TV+?
If so, did you pay for it or sign up for a free trial? And once those free trials expire, what would Apple need to do to convert as many free trials into paying customers as humanly possible?
Let us know in the comments!