Apple has relaxed a policy that saw it take a 30% cut of payments from competitors who use its platform to sell TV shows and movies through their own video apps, according to a published report.
One of the first companies to seize on the relaxed policy change was Amazon, which started selling and renting Prime Video movies on Apple devices Wednesday.
“Apple has an established program for premium subscription video entertainment providers to offer a variety of customer benefits,” Apple told Bloomberg in an email statement.
The program allows users to charge viewers using their own payment method, as opposed to Apple’s in-app purchase system. This saves on the 30% they would otherwise have been charged. “Customers have the option to buy or rent movies and TV shows using the payment method tied to their existing video subscription,” Apple said in the statement.
It’s not clear what prompted Apple’s change of heart. In the past, the likes of Netflix have stopped users from paying for their subscriptions through iTunes to save on the commission Apple charges. Spotify has also been vocal in its complaints about how Apple charges a cut of its money for payments.
Last year, Spotify filed a legal complaint against Apple for what it believes is anti-competitive behavior. It said that Apple makes it difficult to avoid the 30% fee it charges. This, in turn, makes some services more expensive than they have to be.
Apple is one of the tech giants currently being scrutinized for possible antitrust behavior.
