Just as it began selling combined access to CBS All Access and Showtime for a discount last month, Apple’s latest hire suggests that the Cupertino company may explore selling a wider bundle of channels through its Apple TV+ video-streaming service.
Tim Connolly, a former executive at Disney and Quibi, has reportedly joined Apple just as the Cupertino firm has begun exploring bundle deals for its video-streaming service. The Telegraph spotted a LinkedIn profile refresh of Tim Connolly, a former executive at Disney and streaming start-up Quibi, confirming he has recently joined Apple’s TV division.
Mr Connolly helped launch the live TV offering from Disney’s Hulu internet video service, striking deals that brought major networks on board. He also helped engineer a deal with Spotify to sell Hulu and the streaming service as a bundle.
He was one of the most senior executives at Quibi, the mobile-only streaming app led by Hollywood veteran Jeffrey Katzenberg and former HP and eBay boss Meg Whitman, running partnerships and advertising, but left before the service launched earlier this year.
In addition to exploring bundling third-party channels via Apple TV+, the iPhone maker is reportedly contemplating launching several services bundles, collectively dubbed Apple One.
As Bloomberg reported recently, a series of subscription bundles would combine Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple News, an upcoming fitness service and more, for a lower monthly price.
Apple may unveil these bundles at an upcoming iPhone 12 press event.