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

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.

apple tv app hero
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 Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
67 months 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
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tooloud10 Avatar
67 months 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?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Juicy Box Avatar
67 months ago
This rumor has been around for a very long time.

Details have changed, but it never seems to happen.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
peterdevries Avatar
67 months 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...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarpalMac Avatar
67 months 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.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jeremiah256 Avatar
67 months 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.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
ios 17 namedrop

Police Departments and News Sites Spreading Misinformation About How iOS 17 NameDrop Feature Works

Monday November 27, 2023 5:11 pm PST by
Apple with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature that is designed to allow users to place Apple devices near one another to quickly exchange contact information. Sharing contact information is done with explicit user permission, but some news organizations and police departments have been spreading misinformation about how functions. As noted by The Washington Post,...
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
Google Drive

Some Google Drive Users' Files Have Mysteriously Vanished

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:55 am PST by
Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or more months of data had...