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Apple's Upcoming TV Service to Launch in 100+ Countries in 2019, Starting With the U.S.

Tuesday October 23, 2018 2:25 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple's rumored television service that is in the works to showcase its original TV shows will be available in more than 100 countries, according to a new report from The Information citing details obtained from three inside sources.

Apple is said to be planning to launch the service in the United States in the first half of 2019, with a global expansion to follow later in the year.


According to The Information, Apple's original content will be made available for free to Apple device owners, a rumor we heard earlier this month from CNBC.

While Apple's content will be available at no cost, Apple will encourage users to sign up for television subscriptions from other cable networks such as HBO or STARZ.

Apple has reportedly started negotiating with content providers about what it will pay to carry TV shows and movies, but programming is not expected to be the same in each country. It is also not quite clear how Apple content will be positioned alongside content from third-party services.
It is unclear how the original programming will appear next to media companies' channels, which is an issue as some try to negotiate with Apple about getting their shows on the app, said another person familiar with these discussions.
By making third-party content available via the streaming service and launching it in most countries around the world, Apple will be able to better compete with Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, both of which are available in 190+ countries.

Apple has more than a dozen original television shows in the works, and some with high-profile actors and actresses that are likely to attract a number of viewers.

Apple has also inked deals with Oprah Winfrey and Sesame Workshop for new television shows, including children's programs.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12
Tag: Apple's Hollywood ambitions
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Caution)
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AngerDanger
3 weeks ago

Apple can base its core business on services (and in fact it already does, indirectly but effectively), but... by doing so it won’t be Apple anymore. It will be the new Google instead.


Yes, once Apple takes a page out of Netflix’s or Amazon’s book by making original content, they will become the new… Google. o_O
Rating: 9 Votes
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tooloud10
3 weeks ago

Whoopity doo dah, another lousy, overpriced streaming service that has little to offer.


I'm scratching my head as to how you can pronounce an unreleased service 'lousy' and 'overpriced' when virtually the only detail that's been announced is that it will be offered free to anyone with an Apple device.

To date the only streaming service to have a decent offering is AT&T with DirecTV Now, and you have to pay $65 per month to get the cable TV channel lineup. Too much for too little. I wish someone would just offer all the major cable channels at a decent price but without all the sports and premium channels. HBO and the other premium channels have never been worth their cost to me, and I couldn't care less about sports anymore. No other service has all the major channels/channel groups, they all omit at least some, which kills the deal for me. Until then, I'm sticking with cable.


Yeah, it's almost like those channels all charge the providers a fee to sell their programming to subscribers.

As of yet I haven't seen one Apple original TV show that looks like it is even remotely interesting.


How many Apple original shows would you say you've seen?

But then again, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon have very few original good shows either.


I'm sorry, that's just delusional.

Amazon's Prime Video wants to charge extra for nearly every movie I want to watch, so it is difficult to feel warm and fuzzy about their crappy service. Netflix says I have to pay extra to rent the DVD for most of the movies I want to see as they rarely stream the ones I like. Hulu is more for old TV series rather than decent new stuff. None of these companies seem to have clue...


If you honestly can't find any programming you like on Netflix/Amazon/Hulu, I agree that you should probably just give up.

BTW, some of us still want to watch TV on a TV, not a stupid tiny screen.


How do you think the rest of us are watching all of this programming, on our phones?
Rating: 6 Votes
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peterdevries
3 weeks ago
"In 100+ countries"... With the rate that Apple is rolling out other features to countries outside the US, we in The Netherlands can expect this by the time the sun has expanded so far that it will consume Earth..

Still waiting for Apple Pay, TV Series, News etc etc....
[doublepost=1540326832][/doublepost]

Apple can base its core business on services (and in fact it already does, indirectly but effectively), but... by doing so it won’t be Apple anymore. It will be the new Google instead.


Their business models are completely different...
Rating: 5 Votes
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vertical smile
3 weeks ago
This rumor has been around for a very long time.

Details have changed, but it never seems to happen.
Rating: 5 Votes
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jeremiah256
3 weeks ago
Bottom line:

There are apps for Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, CBS All Access, Disney, CNN, ESPN, HBO, etc. Content owners are making finding something to watch on your Apple devices very complicated. You have to check multiple apps that may or may not have a great user interface. It just doesn't work. So Apple is reacting. Trying to bring back balance to your TV. With their TV App.

One App to rule them all. One App to find them. One App to bring them all and on your Apple device bind them.

And even if you don't have any subscriptions, there will be free content to make you happy that you paid that extra money for an Apple device.
Rating: 4 Votes
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WBRacing
3 weeks ago
They will need to make some mega deals with some of the key providers. I find it hard to believe that their own content will come anywhere near the quality of Netflix and Amazon and with Disney doing their own thing as well, it would need to be spectacular for anyone to take on yet another subscription.

I just cannot see it being a big thing for them. Especially as they are almost certain to insist on people using an AppleTV box to make it happen. Mine hasn't been plugged in for months now and just gathers dust whilst my Chromecast works perfectly.

Very late indeed to this party.
Rating: 4 Votes
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cjake
3 weeks ago

[doublepost=1540328649][/doublepost]I already pay for Netflix and Sky Tv in the Uk there no way Im paying out more to watch content, period.


If you already pay for a Netflix subscription, you will be able to use the same login credentials.
[doublepost=1540328960][/doublepost]

They could break into this very quickly if they have a bidding war and win rights to Game of Thrones next season.


Uh... HBO owns Game of Thrones. There is no bidding war. You will need to pay for an HBO subscription.
Rating: 3 Votes
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IGI2
3 weeks ago

"In 100+ countries"... With the rate that Apple is rolling out other features to countries outside the US, we in The Netherlands can expect this by the time the sun has expanded so far that it will consume Earth..

Still waiting for Apple Pay, TV Series, News etc etc....
[doublepost=1540326832][/doublepost]

Their business models are completely different...

I feel you, bro.

In Poland we still don't have:
- FREAKING QUICKTYPE KEYBOARD SUGGESTIONS (in Polish)*
- Multilingual Typing (with Polish), Contextual Predictions in Keyboard, Emoji Predictions*
- Siri in Polish
- TV Shows in iTunes in Poland
- ANY Siri on Apple TV (I EVEN CAN'T SET ENGLISH ONE(!))
- TV app, News app
- Apple Stores
- Up-to-date Apple Maps
- 3D buildings in Maps (even in the capitol)
- Transit in Maps
- Apple Pay Cash
- Apple Music Gift Cards
- Searchable Handwriting (Polish) in Notes**
- Carpool Karaoke Season 2


** easily available and working great in MyScript Nebo https://www.myscript.com/nebo/ --- JUST BUY THAT DAMN COMPANY IF YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT

* Available in Google and so many other 3rd party keyboards that I won't even bother to list them

/rant over ; )


So I don't know how I feel about that TV service...
Rating: 2 Votes
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dotnet
3 weeks ago

I find it hard to believe that their own content will come anywhere near the quality of Netflix and Amazon


Why? Both Netflix and Amazon were complete nobodies as content creators just a few short years ago.
Rating: 2 Votes
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Applestock
3 weeks ago
Giving away this premium content to hardware purchasers is absolutely a genius move. It will take a while to build up an appreciable catalogue, but soon the difference between an AppleTV and any other smartTV device will not only be about hardware capability (which is becoming increasingly less important beyond 4k and HDR) and software user interface, but a decision about the available content as well. AppleTV will become like the Mac in this way: The only piece of hardware that can run everyone else's software (entertainment content) AND it's own ecosystem of software (entertainment content)
Rating: 2 Votes

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