Apple plans to roll out its Apple TV+ subscription service by November, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. It is expected to offer a free trial to start, as it builds up the content catalogue, and then may charge USD 9.99 per month.
The company will introduce a small selection of shows and then expand its catalog more frequently over several months, the report said. The service will launch globally in over over 150 countries.
Apple is weighing different release strategies for shows, the report added. The company is considering offering the first three episodes of some programs, followed by weekly installments.
Apple hasn’t announced pricing for Apple TV+, but is considering USD 9.99 a month, the report said, which would match Apple Music and Apple News+. Netflix and Amazon Prime charge as little as USD 8.99, while Disney+ plans to seek USD 6.99 when its service debuts in November.
Billions on content
Separately, the Financial Times reports that Apple's budget for original content has grown quickly. While it originally set aside USD 1 billion, this has since grown to over USD 6 billion as more shows have moved through production.
Apple just released a new trailer of one of its programmes, 'The Morning Show' featuring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell. Bloomberg reports that Apple is spending USD 300 million on just the first two seasons of this show alone.
