Netflix and Hulu may face some new competition in November.
That’s when Apple — the company that revolutionized the phone service industry with the first iPhone in 2007 — plans to produce its own content to be available for a subscription price.
Marketed as Apple TV Plus, the tech giant announced Sep. 10 that it would charge $4.99 a month, offering a much lower price than the expected $9.99 a month.
Other streaming services offer various levels of options that have different prices. For example, a Netflix subscription costs $8.99 per month with Basic (limitation to streaming on one device at a time with standard definition) and $15.99 with Premium (four devices can stream at the same time with ultra high definition), while such services like Hulu have a price range from a Basic (opened to entire catalog of shows but with brief ads) $5.99 to $50.99, which includes both Premium (ad-free streaming) and Live TV (access to more than 60 channels). service
Though Apple already offers a music streaming service for $1.29 per song as well as video content for $4.99 to $19.99 per movie similar to Amazon and Netflix, later this fall will be the first time that Apple will make available its own shows.
Unlike Netflix, which had 345 first-run titles in 2018 based on a Jan. 1, 2019, Quartz online article, Apple TV Plus will launch with only 30 Apple-produced shows.
A preview clip lasting about two minutes long was released March 25 at the “It’s Showtime” event in Cupertino about Apple’s exclusive original shows, such as the comedy-drama starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell called “The Morning Show,” which will have two, 10-episode seasons.
Besides “The Morning Show,” Apple has set aside a $6 billion budget, according to the Aug. 19 Financial Times, to hire Oprah Winfrey for two documentaries and bring her famous book club on board.
Apple executives have also hired director Steven Spielberg to resurrect his 1980s show that premiered on NBC, “Amazing Stories,” and to produce a 10-episode reboot in its first season.
But is that enough to entice Netflix subscribers to abandon ship and switch to Apple TV Plus?
Junior Diego Lara plans to remain on board with Netflix.
“I think Netflix is doing a great job with the amount of shows and movies they are streaming on there,” Lara said. “Apple TV Plus has a great price, but I don’t think it is enough to make me switch subscriptions.”
Another student, sophomore Sophia Winters, doesn’t think Apple stands a chance against Netflix.
“I have been using Netflix for a long time,” Winters said. “Despite its tempting price, I think I will stick to Netflix for a little longer.”
Biology teacher David Kim, who owns several Apple products like iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs and iMacs, was unaware of Apple’s plans to enter the original series market.
“I am so far satisfied with my experience using Netflix,” Kim said. “I will maintain my subscription unless word comes out that Apple TV Plus is better than Netflix.
