There is a new player in the world of streaming. Starting November 1 Apple will launch its streaming service Apple TV Plus. It will consist of original content available to owners of Apple products. Consumers who purchase both new and refurbished Apple products such as iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod Touch or Mac will have free access to Apple TV Plus for a year.
Current device owners will not be grandfathered in. These owners instead will have to pay $5 a month with a free seven day trial. You will also be able to access the streaming service via the Apple TV app. Competitor devices may have access to Apple TV Plus via Apple’s TV app. What will subscribing to Apple TV Plus get you? At launch Apple TV Plus will have nine titles available to subscribers:
The Mornning Show, starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell is a drama about a morning news broadcast.
Dickinson, starring Hailee Steinfeld is a comedy about poet Emily Dickinson.
For All Mankind, a re-imagining of the space race where the Russians won.
A program by Oprah Winfrey.
Helpsters, a spin off of Sesame Street.
Ghostwriter, a story of four children who team up with a ghost in a neighborhood bookstore.
Snoopy in Space, an animated series.
Five months following its launch, Apple TV Plus will add five additional titles to its lineup:
Servant, a thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Truth Be Told , starring Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul is a mystery drama.
Little America, a look at the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring, and unexpected lives of immigrants in America.
The Banker, starring Anthony Mackie and Samuel L Jackson is a story of the first African American bankers in the US.
Hala, a story about a Muslim teenager’s struggle growing up in America.
Apple TV Plus will offer the ability to download its originals to watch offline. The service will also not feature ads. Unlike Netflix, Apple TV Plus will release its content week to week. This should give the company time to develop and offer additional content to maintain the interest of subscribers in a market that gets more saturated by the week.
Apple is relatively late to the streaming game and has a huge hill to climb competing with the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ as well as cable content providers such as HBO and Showtime. Will Apple TV Plus stack up against its competitors? Only time will tell.
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