Apple has sent out an invitation to the press for an event at its headquarters on 25 March. The only other text in the invite states 'It's show time', suggesting the company may be set to launch its long-awaited subscription video service, according Telecompaper. The latest media rumours point to Apple launching the service in April. The service is expected to include TV streaming from popular broadcasters such as CBS and Viacom as well as premium content from the likes of HBO and Lions Gate Entertainment. Customers would be able to buy a single subscription through the Apple App Store, rather than taking out multiple subscriptions for each of the streaming services, while Apple would share in the revenue with the video providers by providing its distribution platform.
Apple may also announce a news subscription service at the event, according to earlier reports. This would bundle multiple newspaper, magazines and other news outlet in a single monthly paid subscription, distributed over the App Store.
The company is looking to develop more new services that can help offset the slowdown in iPhone sales. Services revenue reached a new high of USD 10.9 billion in the last quarter, up 19 percent from a year earlier, compared to a 15 percent fall in iPhone revenue to USD 52 billion. At the end of December, Apple already had 360 million subscribers to both its own and third-party services. The company aims to grow to 500 million paid subscribers by the end of 2020.
