This article was published on March 25, 2019

Apple TV Plus is Apple’s Netflix challenger – here’s what we know so far


Apple TV Plus is Apple’s Netflix challenger – here’s what we know so far

After years of rumors and speculation, it’s finally real: Apple is launching its own competitor to Netflix. It’s called Apple TV+, and it’s coming this fall.

Right after announcing a revamped Apple TV app – which will now be available on third-party devices – Apple revealed it would be creating original content available via TV+. The company plans to span the whole gamut of genres, includes works with celebrities like Steven Spielberg, Octavia Spencer, Jennifer Aniston, Viola Davis, Steve Carell, and more:

So far, we know the service will be ad-free, that it will be available in 100+ countries, and that all content will be available to download for offline viewing. Unlike Netflix or Hulu, Apple doesn’t seem interested in syndicating content from cable TV; as far as we can tell, Apple TV+ is entirely about original content from the “world’s most creative storytellers.” Apple put together a cinematic little teaser:

Unfortunately, Apple says TV+ is exclusive to the TV app. Though Apple did announce the app would be arriving on third-party devices including Roku and Amazon devices, as well as a variety of TV manufacturers, others were notably absent – specifically, Windows and Android devices. It’s possible apps could be announced for these devices by the time TV+ launches in the fall, but given the lack of a website, it seems you’ll need an Apple-approved device to watch the content. We’ve contacted the company for more details and will update this post if we hear back.

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The company also wasn’t ready to announce pricing for Apple TV+ quite yet – it’ll have more details in the fall.

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