Apple to add HBO, Showtime and Starz to its upcoming video streaming service: Report

This week, Apple announced that it will be holding an event on March 25 and right after the company made the announcement, speculations about what the company has up its sleeve started circulating on the internet. Although a number of speculative media reports have surfaced online, most of them agree on two things that Apple may be launching on March 25: A video streaming service and a subscription-based news service.

And now, a new report in Bloomberg claims that the Cupertino-based technology giant is expected to reach deals with HBO, Showtime, and Starz in time, so its much-awaited and talked-about video service will be able to make a debut on March 25. The report also said that most of the shows and movies on Apple’s service at the time of launch will be from third-parties.

However, we should also add that the company has spent money on original programming and has also signed deals with a number of big names, however, in spite of this, Apple wouldn’t have a lot of exclusive content right at the inception of the service. But then, it does have some existing content of its own Carpool Karaoke: The Series.

It has also been reported that three premium networks are still in negotiations with Apple over user experience and marketing. However, a deal with a few of them is expected to be finalised by the end of this week.

Previous reports have indicated that both Netflix and Hulu don’t want to partner with Apple for its upcoming service. While Hulu has some of its content listed on Apple TV app, the company is not very interested in strengthening its relationship with Apple more than this. Netflix has a different story altogether. It is reported to be tired of Apple’s subscription terms to the extent that it doesn’t even allow customers to sign up directly from its iOS app.

From Bloomberg’s report, it seems like Apple is signing content partnerships with various content creators to make an all-in-one streaming service like Netflix. However, there are certain indications that suggest that the technology company will be selling its subscriptions to some partner video apps from the TV app. However, we would have to wait till March 25 to know what exactly Apple has up its sleeve. Another question that will remain unanswered till March 25 is that what Apple TV app will have to offer to non-subscribers once these services are made available.