Apple offers yet more free TV+ access to existing customers

Apple TV Plus (or TV+) debuted in 2019, starting out as a free perk for those who bought a new device with a screen to view it on initially. That meant that anyone buying a new Mac, MacBook or iPhone - not to mention an actual TV box - could sign up to the nouveau streaming service for a year without a fee.

However, when September 2020 (at the earliest) rolled around, the Cupertino giant announced an extension of the free TV+ access until February 2021. This cut-off point is now near at hand, and some customers may have started contemplating having to subscribe to this own-brand Disney+ rival in earnest.

However, the OEM has now announced that anyone with a subscription due to expire from February to June 2021 now continues to get the service free until July. Plus, those who have signed up from January 15 of this year onward will receive a US$4.99 credit for the App Store to balance this out.

It is not clear why Apple has chosen to maintain free use of its TV+ product for so long. After all, it was initially marketed as a particularly high-end answer to other similar platforms, engaging famous names like Jennifer Aniston and Jason Momoa to fill its virtual content shelves.

None of this could have come cheap, yet Apple is now giving the impression of having little confidence in its relatively new service. On that note, it has been argued that the company is buying time (and possibly hype) to ensure it has the shows and movies it takes to knock the likes of Netflix off its perch with this augmented promotion.