According to Bloomberg, Apple is set to launch its foray into streaming by November of this year. This is not to be confused with Disney's upcoming streaming service (though you'd be forgiven for thinking that), which is also set to launch in November. Oh, and it's also not to be confused with forthcoming streaming services from WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal.
Hopefully you're not overwhelmed yet.
As for the initial pricing structure, Apple is reportedly aiming for a $9.99 per month subscription fee. The company is set to launch its service with a small offering of shows, with a plan to expand that lineup over the next several months. Additionally, in an effort to ready its slate of original content, Apple will likely test out the service by offering a free trial.
The roster of shows that could be included at launch include Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, Truth Be Told with Octavia Spencer, See with Jason Momoa, a documentary series focused on excessive houses called Home, and the Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carrell, and Reese Witherspoon-starring The Morning Show, which has already been picked up for two seasons.
The Financial Times adds that Apple has allocated $6 billion for its original content lineup, though Bloombergnotes that it didn't reveal where that info came from. That purported budget, if true, has expanded from a relatively modest (I mean, if you're rich as shit) original plan of allocating $1 billion. However, while that seems/is high, it pales in comparison to the $14 billion that Netflix is forecasted to spend on its original shows and movies.
Also, while the release of shows on streaming services ranges from one episode per week to binge however much you want right now, Apple is reportedly considering a model that combines the two by releasing the first three episodes of a show, followed by a weekly release thereafter.
