With just days to go before Apple unveils its much-anticipated video streaming service, Netflix has confirmed that its own service won’t be appearing on it.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings confirmed the company’s position at a press gathering in Los Angeles on Monday.
In comments reported by Bloomberg, the boss of the popular streaming service described Apple as a “great company,” but added that Netflix has chosen not to integrate with the tech giant’s upcoming offering.
Hastings told reporters, “We want to have people watch our content on our service.”
He said Netflix has always had to deal with “massive competitors [such as Amazon],” describing them as “amazing, large, well-funded companies with very significant efforts.” But he added, “You do your best job when you have great competitors.”
Reed’s decision to keep its distance from Apple comes a few months after Netflix ended the option that let people subscribe to its streaming service via Apple’s online store, an in-app transaction that gives Apple a sizable cut.
Of course, it doesn’t mean Netflix has slammed the door for good on Apple’s streaming service, but if it does choose to integrate at some point, don’t expect it to happen anytime soon.
March 25 event
All eyes are now on Apple as it prepares to unveil its new video streaming service at a star-studded event in California on Monday, March 25.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to unveil a subscription service offering live TV shows, a slew of original programming, and content provided by partners that Apple has managed to ink a deal with, which could include the likes of HBO, Showtime, and Starz. As with similar services such as Amazon Prime Video, separate subscriptions will have to be taken out to view content from these third-party services.
Only a week ago, Apple was reported to be “racing to secure movies and TV shows to offer alongside its own original videos and is offering concessions to get deals done.”
As Bloomberg rightly points out, media companies need to decide “whether Apple is an existential threat, as some now view Netflix, a potential partner, or something in between,” with their decisions helping to shape the direction of travel for the market in the coming months and years.
For a more in-depth look at what to expect from Apple’s debut effort at a full-fledged, subscription-based video streaming service, check out this Digital Trends piece.
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