Can iPhone maker Apple grow its streaming business in India in association with Bharti Airtel?
Airtel is the second largest telecom operator in India, the world’s most populous nation. Apple has partnered with Bharti Airtel to offer its premium customers free access to Apple’s music and video streaming services.
This collaboration marks a significant step for Apple as it seeks to increase its consumer base in India, a market dominated by local and global players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and JioCinema.
The partnership will see Apple TV+ bundled with Airtel’s premium WiFi and Postpaid plans, although specific details about the deal’s financials and cost structure have not been disclosed. In addition to Apple TV+, Airtel will also offer Apple Music to its premium users. As a result, Airtel’s Wynk music app will be discontinued, with its employees being absorbed into the company.
Apple’s decision to team up with Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator with 281 million subscribers, reflects the company’s ambition to penetrate deeper into the Indian market. Despite its status as a small player in India’s $28 billion media and entertainment industry, Apple TV+ has carved out a niche with its exclusive original content like “Ted Lasso” and “The Morning Show.” This deal provides Apple a crucial opportunity to access a larger consumer base amid intensifying competition in India’s streaming landscape, Reuters news report said.
The timing of this partnership coincides with the approval for an $8.5 billion merger between Reliance’s and Walt Disney for combining their Indian media assets. Both operate their own streaming services in India. With cricket being a major draw for Indian streaming audiences, and competitors like JioCinema offering cricket content for free, Apple’s content offering will have to find its unique appeal.
Airtel is expected to roll out new tariff plans soon, integrating Apple TV+ as part of its offerings. Currently, Apple TV+ is priced at 99 Indian rupees ($1.18) per month in India, significantly lower than its U.S. price of $9.99 per month. The partnership is also strategically important for Apple as it looks to capture a larger share of India’s smartphone market, where it currently holds a 6 percent share, competing against giants like Samsung and Xiaomi.
With this deal, Apple is set to enhance its digital service offerings in India, leveraging Airtel’s extensive customer base to gain a stronger foothold in a highly competitive market.
Apple has already initiated talks with China Mobile to offer Apple Music. China Mobile is the largest telecom operator in the world, according to The Information. Apple Music costs $1.55 a month in China, compared with $10.99 in the U.S. Video-streaming subscription services in China cost anywhere from between $3 to $5 a month on average.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
