In a new development that could shake up India’s crowded streaming market, Airtel has announced it will offer free subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music for its premium customers. This new bundle is set to launch later this year and is part of a broader trend where telecom companies and streaming services are teaming up to attract and retain subscribers.
Under this new partnership, Apple TV+ will be included with Airtel’s premium WiFi and postpaid plans. Meanwhile, Airtel’s music streaming service Wynk will transition to Apple Music, as Wynk is reportedly being phased out. This move comes as Apple aims to broaden its reach in India, where the appetite for high-quality video content is growing rapidly.
Airtel, which has over 281 million subscribers in India, is aiming to enhance its value proposition amidst stiff competition from Reliance Jio, which boasts a subscriber base of 489 million. Airtel’s Xstream Fiber broadband plan already offers a wide range of streaming options and will soon feature Apple TV+ as an added benefit. This strategic move could potentially help Airtel compete more effectively with major players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and JioCinema, particularly in a market where price sensitivity is high.
The exact details of the agreement between Apple and Airtel remain unclear, but the partnership could expose Apple’s streaming services to a significant new audience in India. This could be a game-changer in the competitive landscape of streaming services, offering Apple an edge in a market that is becoming increasingly saturated.
In a related development, Airtel is set to shift its focus from Wynk Music to Apple Music. Wynk Music, launched in 2014, has around 100 million subscribers and offered plans priced between Rs 49 and Rs 99 per month. Airtel Wynk was previously in talks to merge with the music streaming service Gaana, but those discussions fell through. Gaana was eventually sold to Entertainment Network India Limited, the parent company of Radio Mirchi.
The move to integrate Apple Music into Airtel’s offerings is a strategic one, especially as Wynk Music is being phased out. Apple has previously partnered with Airtel and other Indian telcos to ensure iPhone users have access to 5G networks, making this latest deal a continuation of their collaborative efforts.
India’s OTT market is experiencing a trend of subscription fatigue, with many consumers feeling overwhelmed by the number of streaming services available. This has created opportunities for OTT aggregators, which bundle content from multiple services into a single platform. Analysts predict that platforms like Airtel Xstream, OTTplay, and Times Group will grow as they offer users a consolidated view of various streaming options.
This new partnership between Apple and Airtel underscores the growing trend of bundling online content, as internet service providers and telecom companies look to enhance their service packages. Last year, Reliance Jio teamed up with Netflix to offer mobile-only subscriptions as part of their prepaid plans, highlighting the increasing prevalence of such alliances.
The timing of this announcement is also significant given the recent merger between Reliance and Walt Disney, which brings together Disney+ and JioCinema. This Rs 70,350 crore deal is expected to reshape the media and entertainment sector in India and was approved by the Competition Commission of India on August 28.
As the streaming landscape evolves, Airtel’s new offerings with Apple could set a precedent for how telecom companies and content providers collaborate to capture the growing demand for diverse and high-quality streaming content in India.