Apple TV+

The new streaming service is ready for launch

- By Alex Cox

The media streaming market has been growing steadily in recent years. With faster internet connections and ubiquitous wireless making it a feasible proposition in just about any situation, streaming has completely changed the way we consume media — and it’s only going to get bigger.

But is that really a good thing? The first wave of streaming services, with Netflix sitting proudly on top and services like Amazon Prime and Hulu chasing close behind, offered subscribers a huge amount of highly varied content for a nominal fee. Now, everyone wants a slice of the streaming market, from Disney to NBC to CBS and beyond — and Apple is no different, having launched its Apple TV+ service in November. From one big streaming service, we’ve arrived at six or seven, with countless niche streamers sitting on the borders. Subscribing to them all (particularly with the quality and quantity of original series demanding ever–higher subscription fees) will be unfeasible unless you’ve got plenty of cash and spare time. So you will need to make a choice.

PLAYING ITS OWN GAME

Apple is naturally hoping that its own service will be high on that list. It has invested in the region of $6 billion in the first wave of programming for Apple TV+, and that’s all original. So far the company has followed its usual pattern of independence and shown no interest in licensing existing series or movies for its service. Where other launches mean a fight for content — with Netflix losing the rights to shows like The Office and Disney’s movie catalog, for example, to NBC’s Peacock and Disney+ respectively — Apple will play its own game.