Apple Unveil New Streaming Platform Apple TV+
Apple have been looking to get into the streaming game for quite some time with rumours of their imminent arrival into the space coming as early as Netflix’s first big push into the mainstream, but today (Monday 25th March 2019) they finally unveiled their new project Apple TV+ to the world in a star-studded event from its Cupertino, California headquarters.
The tech giants behind the Mac and the iPhone are said to be worth close to $1 trillion and are now putting some of that wealth to work in the content sphere, with new TV series and movies set to debut under their banner as official and exclusive Apple TV+ content.
In a ceremony introduced by Oprah Winfrey and hosted by Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple TV+ was announced as being an ad-free service that will be ready to go in over 100 countries this fall (2019), and it already has a host of the industry’s most respected names attached to projects exclusive to the new service. Some of those names are featured in the following video, the first in what is expected to be a series of Apple TV+ marketing efforts over the coming months:
Featuring words from previously announced Apple collaborators Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, as well as new names like First Man director Damien Chazelle, the promotional package featured an undeniably A-List cast of talking heads, each with their own projects set to debut on the new streaming service. As well as those shown in the video, a host of other talented film & television artists were named at the announcement event including Aquaman star Jason Momoa, Steve Carell, Kumail Nanjiani, Captain Marvel Brie Larson and Bill Murray.
CEO Tim Cook said of the new service:
“We believe deeply in the power of creativity. Great stories can change the world, move us and inspire us, surprise us and challenge our assumptions.”
As well as being featured as names on a screen and stars in the above video, a number of A-List creative celebrities were a part of the announcement itself as live on-stage guests. While little video footage was shown of the company’s in-production offerings, the stars briefly teased their new projects with a small discussion about each.
Apple did not disclose a pricing plan for the new service, though they did reveal that it will be available on the Apple TV app which is set to relaunch this summer with access to a number of 3rd party channels in much the same way as Amazon Video. The app will also be made available on non-Apple products.
For all of their posturing over recent years, Apple set out to wow audiences with their big reveal, and while time can only tell whether this venture will prove to be worthwhile for business and consumer, the company certainly seems to have taken a strong first step forward with this announcement.
