Apple News+Source: Apple

What you need to know

  • Apple may launch a Music, News+ and TV+ bundle as early as next year.
  • A Bloomberg report cites people familiar with the matter.
  • The report points to a provision in publisher deals that allows Apple to bundle News+ with other services.

A report from Bloomberg suggests that Apple's rumored bundle of Apple Music, News+ and TV+ may launch as soon as 2020.

According to the report, "people familiar with the matter" have alluded to a provision included in the deals that Apple signs with publishers, which allows it to bundle the News+ subscription service with other paid services. The clause would seemingly pave the way for Apple to combine all of its services into one monthly subscription.

As Bloomberg notes, of the $10 a month Apple sells its News+ service for, Apple keeps roughly half and the publishers get the rest. A clause as mentioned above is important because according to the report, bundling Apple News+ with Music and TV+ would reduce the overall cost of the news service, and thereby the revenue for publishers.

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The move could make Apple's services more attractive to users, as it seeks to bolster subscribers amidst what Bloomberg describes as a stagnating smartphone market. Priced separately, News+, TV+ and Apple music cost $30 (including the Apple Music family plan). There is no indication at this stage as to what kind of discount Apple would offer users who subscribed to a bundle of the services, although recently Apple announced that students who subscribed to Apple Music would get Apple TV+ for free, suggesting there is arguably plenty of wiggle room.

There have been previous rumors regarding a purported bundle of Apple's services. Back in October, it was reported that Apple was struggling to convince music companies to agree to a media bundle, with record labels concerned that any such deal would eat into their profits. This latest Bloomberg report seems to suggest that publishers signing up to Apple News+ are being asked to agree to a potential bundle in their contracts, which may mean that the music industry is the only branch of the triumvirate that still requires convincing. This latest report is also the first we have heard of a potential timescale. If Apple can get all of the required parties on board, a media services bundle may be closer than you think.

The most recent service to launch was, of course, Apple TV+, which is available for just $4.99 a month and features a small but strong lineup of Apple's original TV content.

Bundle on the way?

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