Apple may soon sell subscriptions in its TV app

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Apple TV 4k Wonder Woman
Big changes are coming to the Apple TV app.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s plan to change the future of television is starting to look a bit clearer now that a new report claims the company is planning to take a page out of Amazon’s playbook.

For the first time ever, the iPhone-maker will allegedly offer subscriptions to TV streaming services through its new TV app, according to a report from Bloomberg. The move will be the first time that Apple lets users purchase video services directly in the app rather than telling users to subscribe through the services directly.

Apple’s changes sound similar to Amazon’s Channels program which offers subscriptions to services like HBO, Starz, Hulu and more. The changes would make the Apple TV app a centralized place to watch and buy new video content. It’s unclear if Apple would take a 30% cut on subscriptions made through the TV app like it does through the App Store.

Plenty of Apple TV

Apple began to rev up its television efforts in earnest last year when it hired two former Sony TV executives to run its original content business. The company already has already ordered 13 original TV series of its own, but it hasn’t revealed how it plans to distrubute them. One rumor is that the company could also air its TV shows through the TV app as a way to drive more users to its services.

Streaming of services like Sling, HBO Now, Netflix and others could all eventually be moved to the TV app, the report claims. The feature won’t be coming out until next year though so plans can certainly change before then.

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