Paramount+ adverts are coming as they join an ever-increasing group of streamers — will Apple TV+ follow next?

Thanks to Digital TV Europe, we read how Paramount+ will rollout adverts internationally this spring. Netflix seems to have a first mover advantage here, and recent financials suggest the move has been a success. Disney+ also has an ad-support tier, and we’ve already reported on Prime Video forcing adverts onto users. This begs the question will Apple TV+ be next?

What exactly is happening at Paramount+ regarding adverts?

The article linked has some relevant detail on the streamer cutting back and the challenges it faces. Most pointed, perhaps, is:

The company’s Q4 performance was hit by a 12% drop in revenue amid cable subscriber declines and a drop in advertising. Paramount+ also added 4.1 million net new subscribers in the quarter.

In other words the market and the company are both still evolving rapidly. In terms of ad-supported streaming, it launch in April in Canada and in June in Australia, priced at $6.99 CAD and AUD, respectively.

The ad-free premium plan will also roll out in Europe, beginning with France this month (March). We’ve no details on UK pricing or exact dates. 

What is Apple TV+ up to in this space?

We’ve been pleased with a lot of recent news from the streamer, regarding renewals and they themselves have picked up thirteen BAFTA TV nominations, with six coming from Slow Horses alone. It’s also the only top-tier player not to have announced a plan for adding adverts, though does advertise its own shows at the start of others (generally skippable). It seems inevitable it will follow suit, and Business Insider reports on a string of recent hires, all of which point to an ad-supported tier arriving in the medium term, perhaps in the second half of this year?

The article discusses why Apple TV+ is attractive to advertisers. While the company itself is not short of cash by any means, streaming is (as yet) a small portion of the business. While the number of subscribers may seem low, they tend towards a high-value demographic advertisers are keen to market premium products to.

We believe it is matter of when not if, and we’ll bring you news as we find it.