Things We Do Not Know About Apple’s New Streaming TV Service

At the March 25th event, Apple announced the release of its Apple TV Plus together with a collection of original TV shows that are in progress. But beyond their names, Apple left out almost every important detail like release date, price, and many more.

This event of Apple has a big marketing push with a parade of celebrities attending. Apple gave its promise that Apple TV plus would be “the new home for the world’s most creative storytellers.”

Here are the things that Apple didn’t tell us about its streaming service.

WHAT TO WATCH AND WHEN?

 The names of potential shows that will be available on Apple’s new service are absent from the event. Apple did say that Apple TV Plus will officially launch in fall, but it did not mention which series will be offered and whether new shows would arrive every week or Apple will release them all at once, like what Netflix does.

At the event, Apple did give us a sneak peek at several shows. But the montage did not do justice to full trailers.

Mostly, Apple let some celebrities talk about their dreams and hopes for the service.

Some of the shows we know that will be available are See with Jason Momoa, fantasy anthology Amazing Stories from Steven Spielberg, and Oprah’s Toxic Labor documentary.

HOW MUCH FOR THE SUBSCRIPTION FEE?

Apple did not mention the exact fee for its service. Prior to the event, there had been several rumors that Apple would release its original content for free as a marketing strategy to lure in subscribers before they subscribed to other networks like HBO, Showtime and Starz. Apple then received a part of these networks’ subscription revenue.

But it seems like it won’t be the case as Apple also announced Apple TV Channels, a separate TV service offering streaming services like HBO. With this service of Apple, subscribers only need to pay for the channels they want.

Apple TV Channel will be available in May, a few months before its Apple TV Plus.

We’re uncertain about the subscription fee for those channels. Rumors said each network would cost $10 per month. Apple did not talk about whether any bundles will be offered at a discount rate. Will it be more economical choosing Apple rather than paying separately? All we know is that the service of Apple will be free from ads.

WHY CHOOSE APPLE?

We know that Apple is focusing more on services as selling iPhones is no longer the main force for revenue growth. But why should customers choose Apple’s service instead of other existing ones like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO remains an unanswered question.

Apple let Hollywood stars like Jason Momoa, Jennifer Aniston, J.J. Abrams, and Reese Witherspoon did most of the talking. Apple itself did not tell us much on the reasons it picked these celebrities’ shows beyond some cliché about storytelling.

For Apple, TV, and movies are an entirely new aspect, which requires complex decisions on content, culture, and taste. Apple has yet to give us an answer on how it will tackle those responsibilities. But the March 25 event proved that Apple is willing to invest in this field to make a name for itself.