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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Technology
Sophie Curtis

Apple poised to take on Netflix with new TV streaming service launching TODAY

Apple is preparing to launch a new subscription video streaming service at its Spring event in California today.

The iPhone maker sent out invitations to the event earlier this month, with the tagline "It's show time," hinting at a showbiz theme.

Apple is rumoured to have sunk $1 billion of investment into the new video streaming service, which will compete directly with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

The service will offer a mixture of original content commissioned by Apple, and TV shows and movies from the likes of Nickelodeon, MTV, Vh1.

Original content is rumoured to include a revival of Steven Spielberg's 1985 series "Amazing Stories" and a space drama called "For All Mankind" from Battlestar Galactica creator Ronald D. Moore.

There's also a drama about a morning TV news show, starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, and a true crime drama called "Are You Sleeping", starring Octavia Spencer.

Apple TV

It is not yet known what Apple plans to charge for the new video streaming service.

Rumours have consistently said that owners of Apple devices will be able to stream at least some of the service's original programming for free.

However, there will also be a monthly subscription component, which is likely to be positioned competitively against Netflix and Amazon Prime - and could be bundled with Apple Music.

Netflix and Amazon streaming packages both start at £5.99 per month. Apple Music costs £9.99 per month for individuals, or £14.99 a month for a family plan.

The new video streaming service will most likely be integrated directly into the TV app on iOS and Apple TV.

The TV app currently acts as a hub for TV shows from other video streaming services, such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub and My5, as well as shows and movies downloaded from iTunes.

There may also be a browser version of the Apple TV streaming service, so people who don't own an Apple device can watch on a PC.

Apple News

The other big announcement at tomorrow's event is reportedly the launch of Apple's long-rumoured subscription news service.

Described by some as a "Netflix for news", the Apple News service is said to offer access to popular newspapers and magazines for a fixed monthly fee.

This could include unlimited access to paywalled content from publishers such as The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

However, Apple is reportedly requesting a 50% cut of revenue from the service, as well as access to some subscriber data, which has not gone down well with the publishers involved.

Mark Thompson, chief executive of The New York Times, has hinted that his newspaper will not be involved, claiming that relying on third-party distribution can be dangerous for publishers.

The Apple News subscription service is expected to cost £9.99 a month, and could also potentially be bundled with the company's existing Apple Music streaming service.

It's not clear yet whether Apple is planning to launch the service in the UK, or which British publishers will be involved.

iPads and AirPods

Apple normally uses its Spring event to unveil its latest iPads and announce updates to other non-iPhone products.

This year, however, Apple has got all its hardware announcements out of the way before the event.

Apple got its hardware announcements out of the way before the event (Twitter/Tim Cook)

In a series of announcements last week, the company unveiled a new iPad Air and iPad Mini, new iMac desktop computers and a new version of its AirPod earphones.

There's still no sign of the AirPower charging mat, or the revamped iPod Touch some Apple fans were hoping for, but it seems unlikely that these will feature at the event.

Instead, Apple appears to be clearing the way so that all of the focus can be on its new subscription services.

The event kicks off at 10:00 EST (17:00 GMT) on Monday, March 25, so check back then to find out more.

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