Apple TV+ Roku remote button cracks the walled garden
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While populating its TV+ streaming service with movies and hit TV series like the upcoming Foundation, Apple has apparently started to consider it a viable contender to the Netflix, Disney+, or Hulus of this world.
So much so, that it is slowly weaning us off the free annual subscription that came with every iPhone or iPad when the service launched. It actually continued for more than a year but no more, as today is the last day you can cancel it and not be charged Apple's arguably low $4.99 monthly fee.
Roku remotes get an Apple TV+ button
As if to solidify its newfangled conviction that TV+ is now worthy of a place in the pantheon of popular streaming services, Apple has entered in a partnership with Roku on the hush-hush, proudly displaying a TV+ button on the stream box juggernaut's new remotes.
According to LightShed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield, however, the Roku remote button buyout move is rather unprecedented for Apple and actually shows the opposite of TV+ viability conviction.
Nobody ever would have expected this. The thought that Apple, rather than create a device that’s going to replace Roku is now buying a button next to Netflix or next to Disney+ just shows you that as they get into the content business, they need to be everywhere.
Well, Apple actually has a device, and a streaming box at that, yet the Apple TV 4K popularity is rather low compared to Roku's sticks and boxes, even after the introduction of the new Siri Remote.
We kid, but yeah, Apple is selectively opening its walled garden at places where it needs wider acceptance of its efforts to crack new markets like in streaming or audio, and the new TV+ Roku remote button is just an depiction of this trend.
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