ON DECRYPT
Apple held on Tuesday its traditional Keynote - the public presentation of novelties for the coming year. And a new trend is emerging in the giant computer: Apple did not put the package as usual on its flagship product, the iPhone, but began the session by announcing its new services. In this case "Arcade", a platform for video games, and especially "Apple TV +", an offer of series and films available from November in a hundred countries.
By gradually moving away from its traditional field of activity, can the apple business shadow Netflix, leader of video on demand platforms? "For the moment, they have only a small catalog compared to Netflix", notes at the microphone of Philippe Vandel, in Media Culture on Europe 1, Fabienne Schmitt, head of the High-Tech & media of Les Echos . AppleTV + has a production budget of $ 6 billion, against $ 15 billion at Netflix. However, the platform has some headliners, such as the series The Morning Show which devotes the return of Jennifer Aniston, or the dystopia See, presented as the next Game of Thrones .
The announcement of the price of this new service ($ 4.99 per month, almost half that of the Netflix subscription, $ 7.99) has nevertheless managed to reduce the price of Netflix 4%. By breaking prices, Apple intends to play disruptors in the video on demand market. "It's clever because they know they're not ready, they only have a few specific shows they've produced, but they're still light years away from Netflix, Amazon, Disney, will happen or even Warner, "points François Sorel editor and co-founder of 01.net, also invited to Culture Media .
Phone sales support
"Programs and series are part of Netflix's core business, and Apple is launching an SVOD service to continue selling phones, which is not the same," explains Fabienne Schmitt. "As Apple sells less and less Iphones, they try with their services to offset the decline in sales turnover," says François Sorel. Moreover, a one-year free trial of Apple TV + is offered to any buyer of a new Apple product. Rather than digging a gap in Netflix Citadel, Apple TV + must act as a lever to allow the giant to maintain its leading position in electronics, while unlocking new revenue streams.
The Disney ogre
But for Netflix, the threat could come from another juggernaut: Disney. The company replies to the announcement of Apple by launching Disney +, from November 12 in the United States and the first half of 2020 in France. "Many people will subscribe to watch the catalog fund Disney is monstrous.Also there are all the Marvel.The 21st Century Fox was also bought by Disney, they are mythical movies.And finally, the saga Star Wars , via the agreement with George Lucas ", enumerates François Sorel. The numbers give the spin. Just for its launch, Disney announces on its platform, from the day of the opening: 400 films and 7,500 episodes of series. And again, for a slightly lower rate than Netflix: $ 6.99 per month.
The Disney surge could be all the more profound as the company also intends to have all its products removed from the catalog of its competitors. "It's very risky," says Fabienne Schmitt. "Disney sold products to a variety of broadcasters, TV channels, he had recurring revenues, he knew every year how much he was going to touch by selling these products.Tomorrow, everything will be on Disney +, but it will have to cross fingers to have enough subscribers to compensate for the end of these revenues. "