Apple Inc has invited the media to an event at the Steve Jobs Theater set for March 25 at the Apple Campus in Cupertino, California as it sets to launch a television and video service. The Streaming TV subscription service launch is expected to happen in April. Apple however did not give a specific focus or the event but rather gave a tag-line “It’s show time.”
The TV service will launch globally, a bid to rank above its rival Netflix Inc and Amazon.com Inc’s Prime Video. The company gave off the hint for a video service, when they spent $2 billion in Hollywood to produce its own content and signing Oprah Winfery.
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Apple intends to lower its iPhone prices in some markets to align with foreign exchange rates, considering the decline they faced for the first time ever in January. Apple also plans to bring HBO, a part of AT&T Inc-owned WarnerMedia on board as part of the services. Ben Bajarin an analyst with Creative Strategies said the event is Apple’s first major media event that does not focus on hardware.
Apple had earlier granted access to its Apple Music services on Amazon smart speakers and they are also in partnership with Samsung Electronics Co LTD a bid to allow all Samsung television owners to watch videos purchased from Apple on their Samsung sets.
Speaking on the partnership, Bajarin said “I don’t look at that as saying Apple has given up on the (Apple smart speaker) HomePod or the Apple TV – those will be the products where Apple Music or an Apple movie experience work the best, but Apple is smart to not limit the places people can consume their services.”