Apple is spending big on its upcoming Apple TV+ streaming video service, and now we have an idea how much you’ll have to spend to subscribe to it.
Apple is expected to launch the service with a $10 monthly subscription cost, according to Bloomberg, putting it on the high side of competing streaming services. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video subscriptions start at $9 per month, while the upcoming Disney+ streaming service is expected to cost subscribers $7 per month when it launches.
The subscription is, however, right in line with the cost for Apple’s subscription-based music and news services, Apple Music and Apple News+, which both cost $10 per month. Apple is expected to offer a free trial for the service when it launches, and the library of available shows and films will expand periodically over the following months.
The higher price point could be necessary to offset the tremendous investment Apple is making in the streaming service. The company is said to have around $6 billion wrapped up in the service at this early stage.
Like the reported subscription cost, the content that will be available at launch for Apple TV+ is unconfirmed at this point. The initial slate of original programming on the service is reported to include the high-profile newsroom drama The Morning Show, Steven Spielberg’s anthology series Amazing Stories, the post-apocalyptic drama See starring Jason Momoa, mystery series Truth Be Told featuring Octavia Spencer, and the documentary series Home, which explores unique, extravagant houses around the world.
Still to be decided is Apple’s rollout plan for the shows, as the company is said to be weighing the all-at-once model of binge-viewing favored by Netflix and Amazon Prime Video or a more traditional, episodic release strategy. Apple TV+ is expected to be available on all Apple devices, as well as stand-alone Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices. Samsung televisions will also come equipped with access to Apple’s streaming service.
Apple TV+ will reportedly be available by November in more than 150 countries, putting it in direct competition with Disney+ for subscribers. The latter service will launch November 12 in the U.S., Canada, and the Netherlands.