NEW YORK, Nov 15 — Apple's internet subscription services could be available as a bundle in 2020.
Bloomberg reported yesterday, citing “people familiar with the matter,” that Apple is considering offering all its digital services — News+, TV+, and Music — as a bundle as early as next year.
This move would be an attempt to draw in more subscribers during a time when smartphone sales are beginning to plateau; however, it could leave News+ publishers out to dry. While Apple already keeps half of the monthly subscription cost and gives the rest to respective publishers, making News+ part of a bundle would reduce publishers' revenue even further.
Already, publishers have expressed dissatisfaction about the amount of money they've received; whether it's the result of Apple having few subscribers or the company taking half of the revenue is yet to be determined. The service recently expanded to Australia and the UK, so numbers could potentially increase.
Likewise, advertisers have expressed frustration with News+ because of Apple's data privacy practices.
Despite these issues, some media are confident enough in Apple's News+ performance to support a transition towards bundling. The offering could be available in 2020. — AFP-Relaxnews
