Since announcing a bevy of branded subscription platforms covering magazines, periodicals, music, video and gaming in 2019, Apple has partnered SVOD service, Apple TV+, with select third-parties to expand distribution. Now Apple is going in-house with platform bundling pricing options.
Dubbed “Apple One,” the bundles range from combinations of Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud Storage for $14.95 monthly, to Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, Apple News Plus, Apple Fitness Plus, and 2TB of iCloud storage for $29.95 monthly.
The plans were disclosed on virtual event, “Time Flies” on Sept. 15.
“Apple One makes enjoying Apple subscription services easier than ever, including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, iCloud and more,” Eddy Cue, SVP of Internet Software and Services, said in a statement. “With Apple One, you can access the best of Apple entertainment across all your favorite devices with one simple subscription.”
While Apple has given away 12-month subscriptions to various branded services individually with the purchase Apple hardware devices, the success of Disney’s bundle featuring Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu likely fast-tracked the decision to look within.
“We have long argued that bundling services is a unique tool that Apple has at its disposal,” Katy Huberty, analyst with Morgan Stanley, wrote in a note last month.
Subscribe HERE to the FREE Media Play News Daily Newsletter!
Indeed, Apple services revenue — driven by music, iCloud and App Store — has skyrocketed in recent years, topping $50 billion annually, or about $12.5 billion every 90 days. Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ continue to struggle — the latter against a field of big-name studio/media competitors chasing Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Apple services include:
- Apple Music, with more than 70 million songs, thousands of playlists, daily selections from music experts, Apple Music radio, and features like time-synced lyrics.
- Apple TV+, home to Apple Originals such as “The Morning Show,” starring Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell and Reese Witherspoon. Apple TV+ has already earned over 100 awards recognitions, including 18 Emmy nominations, for its originals — more than any other streaming service in its first 10 months.
- Apple Arcade, which gives players unlimited access to more than 100 games across iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and Apple TV, all with no ads or in-app purchases.
- Apple News+, which provides premium access to leading newspapers and hundreds of magazines.
- Apple Fitness+, the first fitness experience built for Apple Watch, arriving later this year. Apple Fitness+ intelligently incorporates metrics from Apple Watch for users to visualize right on their iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, offering a first-of-its-kind personalized workout experience. Everyone from beginners to committed exercisers can access studio-style workouts delivered by inspiring world-class trainers and underscored by motivating music from renowned artists.
- iCloud, which keeps customers’ photos, videos, files, and more safely stored and available across their devices.