Apple is reportedly set to launch its streaming service, Apple TV+, in November of this year. News of the platform has been available since March, but there is not currently much information about its pricing and other such details. What we do know is that the launch date coincides with that of Disney+, which experts and fans have been aware will launch on November 12 for a while now.
While Apple TV+ and Disney TV+ will evidently be going head to head in late 2019 once they have both launched, its been reported that the content libraries of both will differ hugely in terms of quantity. We already know that Disney+ will be featuring content from Star Wars, Marvel and, of course, Disney, but rumours abound that Apple TV Plus will be launching with just five shows.
So what will people be paying for each month to start with? There’s The Morning Show, which stars Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carrell, and See, which features Jason Momoa. Truth Be Told, featuring Octavia Spencer, and Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories will also be on the cards. Finally, we know there will also be a documentary series called Home available on the platform.
The Morning Show is based on a popular news program which has top ratings. Main character Alex’s partner Mitch is fired after a sexual misconduct scandal, and she struggles to keep her job as top newsreader as rival journalist Bradley aims to take her place. See takes place in a future where the human race has lost the ability to see, and society has been forced to come up with new ways of interacting, building and surviving. However, everything changes when twins with sight are born.
Truth Be Told stars a reporter and a law student who join forces to research what they believe looks like an unjust conviction. Amazing Stories is based on the 1985 TV series with the same name, and will reportedly ‘transport the audience to worlds of wonder’. Home is a docuseries which offers an exclusive look inside the world’s most extraordinary homes, and the minds of those who created them.
According to Bloomberg’s sources, the company is considering only offering the first three episodes of some shows, which will be followed up by weekly instalments. A report from the Financial Times has claimed that Apple has set aside $6 billion for original shows and movies, which has gone up dramatically from its original budget of $1 billion. When you compare streaming services in this regard, Netflix is reportedly expected to spend over $14 billion on TV shows and films this year. That being said, the large budget set aside by Apple indicates that, while the initial content offering may be meager, what’s set to come will most likely be worth the wait.
Once Apple TV Plus is released, it will be available for users both online and offline, and all video content on the platform will be eligible for download. Users will be able to access the service from smart TVs such as Samsung, Sony and LG, plus Roku TV sticks and Amazon Fire TV. Bloomberg states that the platform will launch on a global scale and be available in more than 150 countries.
