Apple TV+ Release Date and Price Should Make Disney+ and Netflix Scared

Apple might coming to the video streaming party a little late, but it’s unwise to count out the tech giant. At a special event on Tuesday, we finally learned a few key details about Apple TV+ pricing, and launch that should have entrenched competitors like Netflix and newcomers like Disney+ legitimately scared.

First, here’s the key details we learned about Apple TV+ on Tuesday:

• It costs $4.99 and supports family sharing.

• If you buy a new iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV you’ll get a year-long subscription for free.

• Apple TV+ launches on November 1.

• The current launch titles are The Morning Show, starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell; and Dickinson, starring Hailee Steinfeld as the poet Emily Dickinson.

• We also saw a new trailer for See (a post-apocalyptic series starring Jason Mamoa) and it looks pretty incredible.

“We’ve partnered with the most thoughtful, accomplished, and award-winning group of creative visionaries who have ever come together in one place to create a new service unlike anything that’s been done before,” said CEO Tim Cook back in March when the company first introduced Apple TV+.

Ok, with that out of the way, here’s why Netflix and Disney should be worried.

Apple TV+ Pricing

Apple is dramatically undercutting its toughest competition with that $4.99 monthly subscription fee. That’s way less than Netflix ($12.99 and up) and it’s even lower that Disney+ ($6.99 per month). For what it’s worth, Apple TV+ is also cheaper than Amazon’s streaming option, which comes bundled with Prime for $119 per year or $12.99 per month.

Anyone looking for one cheap streaming option may soon consider Apple TV+ over the alternatives. Especially when you consider Apple’s biggest weapon in the streaming battle.

We learned in March that these channels will be available on Apple TV+ at launch:

• HBO
• Starz
• SHOWTIME
• CBS All Access
• Smithsonian Channel
• EPIX
• Tastemade
• Noggin
• MTV Hits
• TNT
• Amazon Prime
• Hulu
• Canal+
• Charter Spectrum
• DIRECTV NOW
• PlayStation Vue
• Suddenlink (added later this year)
• Altice (added later this year)

Apple TV+ Has The Best Free Trial Ever

Apple’s software and services have always succeeded on the back of its hardware, and that’s holding true with its video service. By offering a year of free Apple TV+ when you buy a new device, the company is basically guaranteeing the people will check out its shows and probably get hooked.

Think about it. The number of people who buy a new Apple gadget each year is ginormous. Starting soon, every one of those people will also sign up for Apple TV+. Even if only a small fraction decide to renew their subscription, that’s a huge win — and it’s not factoring in all the people who will forget to unsubscribe and end up paying for Apple TV+ out of laziness.

Apple TV+ Weaponizes Its Release Date

Apple kept the exact launch date a secret for as long as possible, and that gave it a big advantage over its biggest new rival: Disney.

Disney+ won’t launch until November 12, giving Apple TV+ almost two full weeks of attention before it has to compete directly with a service that’s set to offer way more content right out of the gate.

Speaking of which…

Apple’s Biggest Weakness: Not Enough Shows

Based on what we know so far, Apple TV+ only has two shows set to launch with the service on November 1. Compared to Netflix’s massive library and Disney’s huge reserve of classic movies and TV shows, Apple’s offerings look downright pathetic.

Even considering Apple’s full slate of planned projects, which includes everything from See to something called Snoopy in Space, it’s still just a drop in the bucket compared to the combined powers of Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, National Geographic and everything else included under the Disney+ umbrella.

Apple seems poised to steal customers from Disney and Netflix, or at least make them reconsider where to spend there streaming dollars. But the question remains, can Apple TV+ actually offer anything good enough to make people stick around.