In Cupertino, Apple presented its novelties on Monday evening. This time around, it was not smartphones or tablets, but instant or off-subscription services designed to provide the company with reliable monthly revenue.

  • The video streaming service Apple TV +, for example, comes up with exclusive films and series by Hollywood stars like Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Aniston this fall. What will cost possible access via Apple devices and smart TVs, among others, is still unclear.
  • The gaming flat rate Apple Arcade works on a similar principle as Apple TV +: It will also provide temporary access to video games exclusively produced for the service and run on iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple TV. Again, the price is still out.
  • A journalism flatrate called Apple News +, on the other hand, now allows US customers to read the digital versions of US magazines on Apple devices at a monthly fixed price of $ 9.99.

All these services are something new - but especially for Apple itself. As with the topic of music flatrates, where not Apple Music, but Spotify was the pioneer, the company relies on its name and offer existing or emerging markets to shake up. Here is a brief overview of what the three targeted areas currently are:

1) film and series flat rates

Many people watch series and films via online streaming. A Bitkom survey with around one thousand respondents from Germany, for example, concluded in 2018 that 37 percent of them at least occasionally use paid video streaming services, including Apple's iTunes.

Many people are likely to connect with the keyword paid video streaming but flat-rate offerings such as Netflix, Maxdome and Sky Ticket - something that Apple was missing so far. For these services usually pay between eight and twelve euros a month, but they can be used on all sorts of devices, from smartphones to Smart TV.

The flat rates differ mainly by self-produced or purchased, but then at least in the flat-rate market exclusive content. Anyone who would like to have the fantasy series "Game of Thrones" in their subscription, lands in Germany at Sky. And the mystery series "Stranger Things" is a Netflix production and only available there. Some providers also cooperate, for example, Netflix and Sky work together for a subscription service called Sky Q together.

Markus Böhm

Advertising mails from Sky Ticket

Occasionally the access to video flatrates is virtually sold out: Former Sky ticket customers often receive advertising emails with special prices and Maxdome customers sometimes even want to book only a cheap train ticket.

A special role is played by Amazon Prime Video, Amazon's video flatrate, which is part of Amazon's most important subscription service, Prime. Prime offers Amazon customers for 69 euros a year or 7.99 euros a month a shipping flat rate, but also video and even music streaming. Amazon also produces its own series for its Prime customers, and in addition to the video flatrate, it also offers its customers additional streaming packages such as "Arthouse Cinema", which can be booked for some extra euros per month. Similar plans now Apple with so-called Apple TV Channels.

It will become apparent whether Apple's advertised exclusive content is also strong enough in Germany for customers to spend money on Apple TV + instead of Prime Video or Netflix, for example. Especially as, for example, Disney is working on its own streaming service.

In the cards, however, Apple plays that many video services are cancellable monthly. And compared to the other services, the group has the advantage that it can easily anchor its streaming service on many millions of devices: It is namely straightforward via the Apple TV app available. Additional steps such as another app download account for so. Overall, on more devices should be able to run but Netflix.

2) News Flatrates

The new Apple News +, which allows access to magazines such as "Wired" and wants to outmaneuver competitors with its design, initially starts only in the US and Canada. It would have in Germany - matching deals with publishers provided - only a direct rival.

The market leader in cross-publisher magazine flatrates in this country so far Readly, a service from Sweden. Readly costs 9.99 euros a month (or, if you subscribe to Apple's App Store 11.99 euros) and runs on iOS as well as on Android. It has recently been expanded to include daily newspapers such as "Bild" and "Welt".

readly

Readly advertising image

The service, also in the US, has digital versions of thousands of magazines from around the world. The well-known German titles include "Hörzu", "Sport Bild", "Men's Health", "inTouch", and "Cosmopolitan", plus many special interest magazines such as the games magazine "Gamestar" and the Angler Magazine "Blinker". Of the magazines from the offer are the current, but often also older issues available.

A small selection of digital journals is also available to Amazon Prime customers at no extra cost. For example, they can read the "Kicker" and the political magazine "Cicero" in the "Prime Reading" section.

3) Games Flatrates

In its games flatrate Apple Arcade Apple wants to pack only exclusive and playable games offline, which are free of annoying additional purchases - the start should be around the hundred titles. That sounds attractive if the price is right.

APPLE / EPA-EFE / REX

Apple arcade promotional image

So far, even on the iPhone, free-to-play games like "Fortnite" and "Candy Crush Saga", which are basically free, but include chargeable extras, seem to arrive better than games you pay for in advance and for one time. The question will be: How appealing for casual gamers will be Apple's new flat-rate titles, as long as such games continue to exist?

In addition: Most mobile games without free-to-play elements cost less than ten euros. If this amount is paid, you can play it forever. So you would have to regularly try a variety of premium games, so that pays off Apple's monthly subscription, it should ultimately only granted for one month access to the games.

For gaming on PC and console, there are already several, sometimes highlight-spiked game flatrates: Microsoft has about the Xbox Game Pass including games like "Forza Horizon 4" for 9.99 per month on offer. Sony requires Playstation Now 15 euros a month or 99 euros year, including "Bloodborne".

Sony

"Bloodborne"

There is also EA Access or Origin Access from Electronic Arts (EA) with titles like "Mass Effect Andromeda" - for four euros a month or 25 euros a year. EA is also offering a luxury version of its flat rate with more recent games under the name Origin Access Premier.

And for those who love PC indie games, there's the Humble Monthly package, which gives you access to games for mostly smaller studios for $ 12 a month. Here you can continue playing the games after the subscription.

There is a big difference to the Apple offer: The games in all these games subscriptions are not exclusive. With the arcade flatrate Apple is actually trying something completely new.