Apple Plans to Have Streaming TV Service Ready to Launch by Mid-April

Apple is aiming to have its video streaming service ready for launch in mid-April, reports The Information. The tidbit about Apple's service was shared in a wider piece on Amazon's plans for Amazon Prime Video.

According to the report, Apple has been telling entertainment companies who will have content available through the service to be ready for a launch in mid-April. A release date is said to be planned within a few weeks of the mid-April launch target.

apple tv app hero
A mid-April launch is in line with previous rumors that have suggested Apple's streaming service could launch early in 2019. The service is believed to feature Apple's own content along with content from third-party companies like HBO and STARZ.


Apple is planning to make the service available through its existing TV app, and at least some of Apple's own content will be provided to Apple users for free.

While the service is said to be launching in the United States first, Apple has ambitious plans to expand it to more than 100 countries during 2019.

Apple has over two dozen original TV shows in the works, many of which have entered the casting phase and are likely close to being filmed, if filming has not already started. Apple has also signed deals for multiple movies and has brought on well-known TV producers like Jason Katims and Justin Lin for exclusive TV shows and movies.

Content runs the gamut from dramas and comedies to children's shows and science fiction. A full list of the projects that Apple has in the works is available in the original content section of our Apple TV roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

apple oct 2024 mac tease

Apple Expected to Announce These Two to Three Products 'This Week'

Sunday October 12, 2025 7:05 am PDT by
Apple plans to announce new products "this week," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple's "Mac Your Calendars" teaser last October In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the products set to be updated this week include the iPad Pro, Vision Pro, and "likely" the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, with all three likely to receive a spec bump with Apple's next-generation M5 chip. Gurman...
iOS 26 Feature

Apple Preparing iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones

Saturday October 11, 2025 6:59 pm PDT by
Apple's software engineers are internally testing iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will likely be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released within the next few weeks. Last month, Apple released iOS...
Apple TV Plus Feature 2 Magenta and Blue

Apple TV+ Being Rebranded as Apple TV

Monday October 13, 2025 8:25 am PDT by
Buried in its announcement about "F1: The Movie" making its streaming debut on December 12, Apple has also announced that Apple TV+ is being rebranded as simply Apple TV. A single line near the end of the press release states "Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity," though Apple's website has yet to be updated with any changes, so we're unsure on the details of the...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 18 Pro Already Rumored to Have These 6 New Features

Saturday October 11, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still nearly a year away, a handful of new features and changes have already been rumored for the devices. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. Smaller Dynamic Island The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with a slightly smaller Dynamic Island, but the devices will...
10

Apple to Launch New Products Starting Next Week, Claims Dubious Leak [Updated]

Friday October 10, 2025 5:57 am PDT by
Update: the Naver account appears to be referencing a speculative post on X by Vadim Yuryev, dated October 6. The original article follows. Apple will announce new products through a series of press releases beginning as soon as next week, according to a dubious claim posted on the Korean blog Naver. The Naver blog account yeux1122, which aggregates rather than originates Apple...
All AirPods 2025

Apple Reportedly Working on New AirPods Pro, AirPods 5, and H3 Chip

Sunday October 12, 2025 9:24 am PDT by
After releasing AirPods Pro 3 last month, Apple is already working on the next AirPods Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It is unclear if the new AirPods Pro would be branded as AirPods Pro 4, or if they would be considered an updated version of AirPods Pro 3. Gurman did not take a position, opting to describe them as a "new version" of the "high-end in-ear buds." AirPods Pro 2...
clips app hands on thumb

Apple's Clips App Discontinued

Saturday October 11, 2025 9:06 am PDT by
Apple has essentially discontinued Clips, its video-editing app designed to allow users to combine video clips, images, and photos with voice-based titles, music, filters, and graphics to create enhanced videos that can be shared on social media sites. The app has been removed from the App Store, and a support document on Apple's site says that the app is no longer being updated and would no ...
Meta Ray Ban Glasses

Apple's Smart Glasses With In-Lens Display May Feature Two Modes

Sunday October 12, 2025 9:43 am PDT by
Apple's second-generation smart glasses with an in-lens display may have two modes, depending on which device they are connected to. Meta Ray-Bans without an in-lens display In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he was told a future version of Apple's smart glasses may be able to run a full version of the visionOS operating system when they are paired with a Mac, and...
apple vision pro orange

Vision Pro Future Uncertain as All Headset Development Is Seemingly Paused

Saturday October 11, 2025 1:00 am PDT by
Recent reports suggest that there are now no redesigned Apple Vision headsets in active development, with the company's focus pivoting decisively to smart glasses. When Apple announced the Vision Pro in mid-2023, it described the device as the dawn of "spatial computing," a new paradigm that would eventually rival the iPhone in importance. With a $3,499 starting price, intricate design and...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
88 months ago
It's great that Apple is planning on throwing its hat in the streaming service ring, but if I try to watch the same TV show twice on one Apple TV, is there a chance that a software bug could result in me being able to hear the actual production of said TV show even if the producers haven't accepted my request to attend the filming?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
QCassidy352 Avatar
88 months ago
Who's asking for this? Seriously, who? I'm a big Apple fan and firmly in their ecosystem, but with Netflix, Prime, Hulu, HBO, YouTube, Disney (soon) and all the rest, do we really need another one? What void are they filling that's not already adequately covered ten times over?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bpeeps Avatar
88 months ago
March 27th Apple event for this and the News subscriptions and some new hardware (iPads, AirPods)
Bookmarking this because you’re probably right.
[doublepost=1548733540][/doublepost]
It's great that Apple is planning on throwing its hat in the streaming service ring, but if I try to watch the same TV show twice on one Apple TV, is there a chance that a software bug could result in me being able to hear the actual production of said TV show even if the producers haven't accepted my request to attend the filming?
This is a bad joke.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redpandadev Avatar
88 months ago
If it's another on-demand style content provider like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video it has a very high likelihood of failing. This is an industry model that is already quite mature with large customer bases and massive content deals in place. There isn't a lot of room for a new player here. I doubt that people are going to be willing to pay what Apple will charge for the content that they will bring to the table. I doubt even more that people will be willing to switch from their current services. They'd need to target bringing the ENTIRE iTunes catalog of Movies and TV plus original content to streaming with a price no higher than about 14.99 to make anyone even think about it.

On the other hand, if they plan to offer live TV and compete with PS Vue, DirecTV Now, YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Philo, etc they could stand to succeed in a big way. This model is in its very infancy and no single provider has found exactly the right mix of content (channels), price, and features. There is a ton of room for growth and this area is just begging for someone to swoop in and do it right.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sinsin07 Avatar
88 months ago
Couldn’t they just buy Netflix instead?
Enough with the "Can't they just by Netflix?"
Is this what Steve meant when he said “I finally cracked it!” ?
We can't ask him so maybe it's time to move on from that question.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Greymacuser Avatar
88 months ago
And still no professional desktops.
I guess they had just enough screws to get the streaming service ready.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)