NetflixandApple TV+may finally be willing to come together with their fellow streaming rivals to help save people money (and better sell their services). Verizon announced a new bundle deal on Monday that includes the platform known forStranger ThingsandSquid Gameas well as the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Max for only $10 a month for myPlan customers under Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plans. Both services included are their respective ad-supported tiers, but that’s still a 40% discount over buying each service separately. Additionally, Apple TV+ has been talking with Paramount about linking up with its flagship service, Paramount+, for some time, though details are scarce on what that deal would look like.
Streaming Service
Monthly Price (Ads)
Monthly Price (Cheapest No Ads)
Prime Video
$8.99/$14.99 with Prime
Paramount+
This is also fairly new ground for both services as they’ve been among the most reluctant to partner with their competitors. Disney has been quick to offerdeep discounts on the Disney bundle(Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+) while Prime Video has been especially willing to link arms with other streamers, includinga recent deal with MGM+. Netflix and Apple TV+, however, have mostly only kept to themselves, barring a few exceptions, like Apple offering its platformwith a subscription to Apple Oneand Netflix joining previous Verizon bundles, albeit mostly at Verizon’s expense.
The Future of Streaming Is Bundled
As for why Netflix and Apple, among others, are more willing than ever to join hands, the answer mostly lies in ads. Netflix has constantly touted thatits ad-supported plan, despite being its cheapest, is also arguably the most lucrative for the company andone of the fastest growing. Any chance to spread that plan around, even at a lower price than usual, is oneTed Sarandosand company seem eager to capitalize on. The same principles largely apply to the legacy media companies' streaming platforms, which all incorporate ads to some degree. And while Apple TV+ has yet to get its ads on, growth is of the utmost importance at the moment, and it’ll need to do something to avoid being left behind by its peers.
The Netflix-Max-Verizon bundle launches on December 7 for Verizon customers. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the future of streaming as more services team up. In the meantime, check outour guide to some of the best films to watch on Netflixwith the new bundle.
