Like Disney, Apple has come to realize the importance of building a strong foundation in the streaming marketplace. In recent months, the company has made a bevy of moves to sign exclusive content for Apple TV+. On the heels of exclusively streaming Greyhound, starring Tom Hanks, signing Will Smith for Emancipation, and first-look movie deals with both Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese, Apple has streamed On the Rocks featuring Bill Murray, locked down the Peanuts franchise, signed a new comedy series, Platonic, starring Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen, and picked up Jon Stewart’s first show since leaving The Daily Show. All this while extending its free first-year trial for iOS device purchasers an additional three months, through February 2021.
While some smart TVs and current video game consoles have not offered the Apple TV+ app, Apple is looking to change that. On time for the launch of the PlayStation 5 this November, Apple TV+ will become available on both PS5 and the existing PS4, which has sold through an impressive 113 million units worldwide. Similarly, it has been officially announced that Apple TV+ will be headed to both Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles when Microsoft launches its new gaming systems this month.
There’s been no word on Apple TV+ coming to Nintendo Switch and its installed base of more than 65 million, but Nintendo has not offered its users a dedicated Netflix or Disney+ app yet either, instead only offering Hulu and YouTube on the popular gaming system.
Expanding support for Apple TV+ to gaming consoles is a smart move for Tim Cook and company, as the new generation of consoles hits the market. Many viewers today (especially gamers) expect to be able to consume entertainment content on whichever device they happen to be using at any time of the day. Interpret’s New Media Measure® also shows strong overlap between current Apple TV+ subscribers and console ownership, especially PS4 at 43%. Moreover, there’s plenty of room for Apple to capture more subscribers from the gaming crowd, as just 10% of Xbox and PlayStation owners subscribe to Apple TV+ at the moment.