Everything you need to know about the new Apple TV+ service


1 Nov 2019

Stars at the launch of the Apple TV+ subscription service. Image: Apple/PA

Apple has launched its new streaming service, which will go head-to-head against the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Apple’s highly anticipated streaming service Apple TV+ has arrived, along with a range of programmes boasting big-name stars. It will go head-to-head with current contenders Netflix and Amazon, as well as soon-to-be-unveiled Disney+ and BritBox from BBC and ITV.

If this is the start of the streaming wars, then Apple’s army is made up of top-tier Hollywood talent.

Among them are Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston – last seen together on Friends – in The Morning Show, a series about a daytime TV show struck by a ‘Me Too’ scandal. It also stars Steve Carell as the disgraced former anchor.

Meanwhile, a show hoping to lure younger viewers away from the clutches of Netflix is Dickinson, a half-hour drama about American poet Emily Dickinson. It stars Wiz Khalifa as Death and features music by chart-toppers such as Billie Eilish.

Elsewhere, Game Of Thrones actor Jason Momoa heads up the drama See, penned by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. It is set 600 years in the future in a decimated America where human beings have lost the power of sight and have retreated to a new Dark Ages.

Also launching is For All Mankind, starring The Killing’s Joel Kinnaman, set in a world where the global space race never ended and the USSR made it to the moon first.

Still to come are new projects from creatives including Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Jon M Chu, and Apple is promising new original shows every month.

Streaming details

The service launched today (1 November) and will cost €4.99 per month after a seven-day trial, allowing access for up to six people per subscription.

One year of Apple TV+ will be included when you buy a new iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac or Apple TV through the Apple TV app. The service will also be available on smart TVs, streaming boxes and streaming sticks.

Last month, Eir launched a new TV service using the Apple TV 4K device as its sole set-top box, which will include Apple TV+ for Irish customers, as well as 100 channels and other on-demand and streaming apps.

Earlier this week, Apple reported record revenue for its fourth quarter despite a fall in iPhone sales. The tech giant said that its services business, which includes subscription offerings such as Apple Music and will now include Apple TV+, continues to grow – with revenue rising to $12.5bn from $10.6bn this time last year.

– PA Media, with additional reporting by Sarah Harford