Apple has kicked off the live stream of its March 25 event hours before its actual schedule that is set for 10am PDT (10:30pm IST) on Monday. The stream doesn’t reveal what’s coming up at the event, though it shows Steve Jobs Theater that is anticipating a huge audience that would come to see Apple’s venture to counter Netflix. Separately, a report claims that Apple is planning to bring premium channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz to its online content service at a standardised $9.99 (roughly Rs. 651) monthly subscription each. The company is also said to launch its revamped news service at the event that would also come at $9.99.
To tease the announcement, Apple has launched the live stream directly from the Steve Jobs Theater, Cupertino. The stream currently shows nothing pertaining to what’s set to launch later on Monday. However, it appears to be a live feed.
As 9to5Mac notes, the live stream looks like a pre-recorded video that has some faux-CRT CGI effects. It not only shows the inside view of the iconic Steve Jobs Theater that was launched back in 2017 but also random shows of the macOS Flurry screensaver and a couple of missed calls from Chris Evans, who is renowned for his role as ‘Captain America’ in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Evans is likely to be one of the artists, who is working with Apple for its new content streaming service.
The streaming service by Apple is expected to give a direct competition to the likes of Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. While we’re set to see how the Cupertino giant will transform the experience, a report from The Wall Street Journal has claimed that it will offer premium TV channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz with a standardised monthly subscription of $9.99 each. The company is also said to update its news service with premium content at a monthly charge of $9.99.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the report claims that Apple will offer subscriptions to channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz directly from its new TV app to take on Netflix. HBO currently costs $15 (roughly Rs. 1,040) a month in the US, whereas Showtime is available with a monthly charge of $10.99 (roughly Rs. 760) and Starz at $8.99 (roughly Rs. 620).
Apple is also reportedly negotiating with manufacturers such as Roku and select smart TV makers to bring its service to a wider range of audiences. It is worth mentioning here that Samsung is already one of the early partners to support iTunes content.
Last week, Netflix confirmed that it has chosen not to integrate with Apple’s new service. Publishers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post are also not in plans to join the new Apple Newsservice that is expected to debut alongside the new content-focussed offering by the iPhone maker.
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