A Wednesday report from Bloomberg says Apple is planning to begin offering subscriptions to select video streaming services via its dedicated TV app, which is available on iOS and Apple TV devices.
This would simplify the process and bolster Apple’s TV app on Apple TV, iPhones and iPads, making it a central place for people to find, watch, and buy content. It would also be another way for Apple to keep boosting its services business, which it expects to generate $50 billion a year in revenue by 2021.
At the moment, subscriptions to streaming services, such as HBO, Showtime, Netflix and others, are only available through the services’ own apps or websites.
In addition to bolstering Apple revenue, the move would also simplify the subscription process for users. Bloomberg’s sources claim the Cupertino firm has plans to debut the new subscription feature “in the next year.”
Apple’s services category, which is where income from such a subscription service would show up in the company’s financials, showed a 31% boost in sales in the most recent quarter, bringing in a record $9.2 billion. The category is helping to make up for the slowdown in iPhone sales growth.
Apple declined to comment on the report.