Apple TV+ is Apple’s TV subscription service. Like most Apple apps, it’s for Apple devices only, such as iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. But a new report suggests that it’s on its way to Android devices.
Tim Cook at the premiere of season 3 of “Ted Lasso” held at Regency Village Theatre on March 7, 2023 … [+]
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has fastened on the fact that a job listing has appeared in recent days, saying that Apple is looking for someone to lead the development of what it calls “fun new features.”
That’s intriguing. The listing goes on that it is looking for a person to “help build an application used by millions to watch and discover TV and sports.”
All of which strongly suggests that Apple is going to do something it has already done for Apple Music, and almost no other apps: create an Android version.
Usually, Apple keeps its apps unique so it can draw customers into its world, encouraging them to buy its devices. But, as with Apple Music, it looks like it wants to make the Apple TV+ app, with its $9.99 monthly subscription, more widely available.
As Gurman says, it means Apple is wanting to gain market share in video streaming. After all, other streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video are all platform-agnostic, available in multiple places.
Apple TV: one of the streaming devices for Apple TV+.
The reasoning is clear: you won’t sell any extra devices, but the expensive movies and TV shows will be able to reach a wider audience and earn more subscriptions.
Similarly, the successful movies, which have included an Oscar winner, CODA, and some very highly regarded series such as Ted Lasso, Severance and the wonderful Slow Horses, won’t be tethered just to Apple devices if the new app appears.
Android has more users globally than iOS, so this move would be important. There are already Apple TV+ apps for systems like Amazon Fire Stick streaming devices, some smart TVs and Roku boxes. And Google Chromecast streaming devices have access to Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ now costs $9.99 a month, double the price when it first launched, so placing this on the billions of Android devices around the world could make a significant difference for the platform.
This will all be some way off, if the staff aren’t even working for Apple yet, but it’s an exciting development.