Apple TV+, the new Apple streaming service announced yesterday, pitches the device manufacturer into a crowded market as it shifts its business strategy towards original content and digital services.

The widely expected move into SVOD comes with some serious firepower in the form of artists on both sides of the camera as Apple takes on Netflix, the US market leader in this category.

While Apple TV+ may grab the headlines, Apple also unveiled developments in several other sectors, including news, gaming and financial services:

  • Apple TV+: Launching in the fall (when pricing and availability will be announced), Apple’s original video subscription service will feature a brand new slate of programming from celebrated creative artists, including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, and M. Night Shyamalan – all ad-free and on demand via the updated Apple TV app.
  • Apple News+: this subscription service, available initially in the US and Canada, brings together over 300 popular magazines, leading newspapers and digital publishers (including Vogue, National Geographic Magazine, People, ELLE, The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times) into a curated experience within the Apple News app.
  • Apple Arcade: a game subscription service launching in 150 countries in the fall that will feature over 100 new and exclusive games, including original releases from creators such as Hironobu Sakaguchi, Ken Wong, Will Wright and more. Customers will be able to try any game, there will be no ads, ad tracking or additional purchases, and user privacy will be respected.
  • Apple Card: Apple claims this will transform the entire credit card experience by simplifying the application process, eliminating fees, encouraging customers to pay less interest and providing a new level of privacy and security. Available in the US this summer, its rewards program includes Daily Cash, which gives back a percentage of every purchase as cash on customers’ Apple Cash card each day.
While CEO Tim Cook claimed that Apple News+ “is going to be great for customers and great for publishers”, the Financial Times noted that not all publishers agreed: Apple’s terms for inclusion include taking around half of the revenues generated by subscriptions.

Sourced from Apple, Financial Times; additional content by WARC staff