Apple’s media events are typically big deals, including announcements worth rounding up journalists from across the world. Are subscription services enough?
Subscriptions are becoming increasingly major sources of Apple’s “Services” revenue, and the company’s been openly working on two followups to Apple Music: a paid subscription service for Apple News, and a video subscription service for iOS devices and Apple TVs. Each is said to be Apple’s take on the popular all-you-can-watch streaming service Netflix, here with independent news organizations providing endless news and Apple funding a huge slate of original videos.
Neither service has been officially announced, but both services have long been expected to launch this year, potentially as soon as next month. Shortly after a report spread yesterday that Apple has angered publishers by demanding a 50 percent cut of news subscription fees, unnamed “sources” told BuzzFeed News that Apple is planning a March 25 event focused on new subscription services, headlined by the news service. The sources “declined to say anything” on the video service, but deemed new iPad mini and AirPods models “unlikely to make an appearance.”
Under any circumstances — especially amid reports that news organizations are unhappy with the terms — it’s hard to imagine Apple asking journalists to travel to Cupertino just to cover the launch of a monthly news subscription service. To Apple’s credit, the company historically hasn’t wasted the media’s travel time or budgets with announcements that can be fully or substantially appreciated in a press release. Even if the biggest U. S. publishers all reversed course and signed on for the subscription service, that alone would be press release material.
Adding the official announcement of Apple’s video subscription service to the event would certainly make it more interesting, but still of questionable value to attendees. Apple would unquestionably bring out Oprah Winfrey along with some equally high-profile directors and actors to talk about the Apple-backed projects they’re (still) working on, but there’s been little indication that the video service is ready to launch.
