Greenfield said Apple’s decision to buy a Roku button looks like an attempt for the service to “clearly brand itself” and give consumers the understanding that by sitting next to Netflix on the remote, that it is a content provider, too. Roku’s expansive reach may boost Applet TV+’s subscriber numbers. That may be because Apple sells its own streaming device called the AppleTV, and consumers don’t fully realize that the $4.99 a month Apple TV+ service can be used without it, or any other Apple device for that matter. “We see AppleTV+ as still sputtering versus peers.”Īccording to Greenfield, part of the problem is that there’s “confusion in the marketplace” about what AppleTV+ is.
“As always, we wonder what Apple TV+ does to stand out in an increasingly crowded field,” wrote MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson.
The rest said they were unsure what they would do. Nearly 30 percent said they don’t plan to resubscribe once the promo expires, while another 30 percent said they plan to renew at the $4.99 monthly price.
Roku tv remote buttons free#
Alamy Stock PhotoĪccording to a January study by MoffettNathanson of nearly 19,500 customers, a whopping 62 percent of Apple TV+ subscribers are still on the free promotional offer. Apple TV+ is slowly building up its content library but it still trails rivals like Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max. That’s sorely short of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, which each have more than 1,000 original shows. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Roku would offer a special Apple TV+ promotion for its users, but the service continues to offer free, three-month trials to new customers.Īpple TV+ now has nearly 90 original TV shows, movies and documentaries, such as “Ted Lasso,” starring Jason Sudeikis and “The Morning Show” with Jennifer Anniston. When users hit the Apple TV+ button, they’re routed directly to the streaming app and prompted to set up an account, which costs $4.99 a month. But next month, the bulk of its initial subscribers are slated to finally get billed. During the pandemic, the offer was extended twice. When the $49.99-a-year service launched, anyone who bought an Apple gadget got a year of Apple TV+ for free. Whatever the numbers, Apple’s move comes as a slew of free trials for Apple TV+ are set to expire. Apple may be able to clarify brand confusion over Apple TV+ with its Roku partnership, experts say.
By comparison, Netflix recently reported 208 million global subscribers while Disney+ now has more than 100 million subscribers. Sources close to the situation said the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant is pointedly keeping a low profile about the Roku partnership, which was first revealed in April in a report by the Verge which attracted little notice.Īpple may be keeping silent, insiders say, because the move stinks of desperation.Īpple doesn’t break out subscriber numbers for Apple TV+, but analytics firm Ampere Analysis estimated that Apple’s streaming service may have surpassed 40 million subscribers by the end of 2020. Indeed, it is believed that this is the first time Apple has put its branding on a competitor’s hardware. “The thought that Apple, rather than create a device that’s going to replace Roku is now buying a button next to Netflix or next to Disney+ just shows you that as they get into the content business, they need to be everywhere.” Roku’s new remotes include a shortcut button for the Apple TV+ app along with buttons for Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu. “Nobody ever would have expected this,” Greenfield told The Post. Apple didn’t respond to requests for comment.Īpple’s Roku play is “shocking” development, and a signal that the iPhone maker has finally realized it “can’t just be within the walled garden of Apple,” said LightShed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield. The new remotes have also begun popping up at retailers including Best Buy, which early Wednesday was offering an Apple TV+-emblazoned remote with Roku’s new Express 4k+ Streaming Media Player, which is selling for $39.99.Ī Roku spokesman declined to comment. Roku revealed the button on its website Wednesday morning without formally announcing it, showing a picture of its new remote that had easy-access buttons for Netflix, Disney+, Hulu - and Apple TV+. ‘Hockeyland’ captures high-stakes world of Minnesota high-school hockey: ‘It’s bonkers’Īpple TV+ is scrambling for new subscribers - and it’s quietly looking to an unlikely rival for help.Īpple’s struggling streaming service, which it launched in November 2019, has bought a button on the Roku remote - a surprise tie-up with the popular streaming-stick maker that Apple hopes will expand its customer base. Selena’s mom thought ‘she was going to die’ before singer’s shock diagnosis Here are the 10 essential shows to watch this November
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