Apple announces Apple TV Plus video subscription service to rival Netflix and Amazon

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Apple announces Apple TV Plus video subscription service to rival Netflix and Amazon

Apple TV Plus launches in over 100 countries this fall and employees say it’s bound to become the future Netflix killer. So far there isn’t any solid information about the project, but the tech behemoth is relying on its devoted fan base to get the service off the ground.

Apple has learnt from prior mistakes – Planet of the Apps and Carpool Karaoke – by hiring outside executives from big-name studios. The tech giant has gathered a plethora of talent to take on household names like Netflix and Amazon.

Various glittering names took to the stage to officially reveal the shows they’re creating for Apple. Cook and Co. are reported to be sinking as much as $2 billion into producing content, and for that kind of money Steven Spielberg, M Night Shyamalan, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and J.J. Abrams will make the trip to Cupertino.

How much is the new Apple streaming service going to cost?

Apple also didn’t tell us how much anything would cost. There had been rumors before today’s event that Apple would make its original content free as a way to lure customers onto the service before they subscribed to bundles of networks including HBO, Starz, and Showtime, with Apple making its money by taking a cut of the subscription revenue.

Rumor has it that Apple will reportedly create a package of HBO, Straz and Showtime along with its streaming service for only USD 9.99 per month. Even more recent rumours suggest that Apple will offer a 3-month trial period for their new service with different subscription plans depending on the resolution setting you select – 4K or FHD.

Apple is said to also include several pieces of original content from comedies to sci-fi movies with the star-studded line-up of talented performers, come of which we’ve already mentioned earlier.

Apple’s streaming service will likely be accessible to all users, regardless of the device.

While the streaming service will be brought to users on iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, and the Safari browser on Macs and Windows PCs, it’s highly likely to also see it be integrated into the latest televisions as brands like Sony, Samsung and LG already feature support for existing Apple streaming services.

Plus, considering that Apple is competing with the likes of Netflix, it just can’t afford to limit the availability of its services only to Mac and iPhone users.

Will Apple TV Plus offer more than Netflix, HBO or Hulu?

For now, the answer to that question is still pretty much uncertain, given that the competitors are already popular and actual, established service brands. They’ve all gathered some impressive back catalogs of many things to watch and Apple TV Plus’ public is still pretty much unclear.

Diving into the TV and movie industry is a completely new space for Apple to dive into — one that involves making some tough decisions around what content to create and also analyzing the taste, and culture of the people they are appealing to.

Apple hasn’t quite answered how it’ll handle those responsibilities, but today showed that Apple is at the very least willing to spend big to make a name for itself in TV.