According to a new report, Apple is reportedly aiming to add support for subscribing to streaming services through its TV app for iOS and tvOS around mid-April 2019.
This was mentioned today as a side-note in The Information’s write-up about Amazon’s plans to scale back its ambition to expand Prime Video as Apple joins the burgeoning market.
Currently, users are required to subscribe to a streaming service directly in its app or the official website. The Information report says Apple’s given a heads-up to Hollywood studios whose offerings will be available through the TV app to be ready for launch around mid-April.
Citing three people familiar with the matter, the story claims that Apple is targeting a release date within a few weeks of of mid-April. Bloomberg reported in May 2017 that subscriptions would be sold through the TV app but actual playback would take place in the third-party app.
The current TV app aggregates content from participating providers.
This lets users easily browse content from a bunch of video apps, continue watching where they left off and more. However, clicking the Play button opens the corresponding video app.
It’s unclear if the iPhone maker is also aiming to have its rumored video-streaming service ready for launch around mid-April 2019 as well. Curiously, prior rumors have indicated that the Cupertino firm may distribute its own shows through the TV app.
For what it’s worth, supporting subscriptions in the TV app will most likely coincide with the launch of Apple’s original video programming: Variety claims that an Apple-branded video-streaming service will launch in the US at some point in the second half of 2019 before rolling out to more than a hundred markets later in the year.