Are ads coming to Apple TV+?
While there have been recent reports that Apple TV+ may be exploring ads for its programming, IndieWire says it’s more likely ads will be coming to sports programming over other content on the streamer.
Apple TV, which already has ads on its live sports content, struck a deal with Major League Baseball for Friday Night Baseball games in March, then with Major League Soccer months later in June to stream every MLS match through 2032.
Reports indicated Apple TV’s new advertising product would launch in early 2023. This coincides with the launch of Apple TV’s new MLS streaming service and the start of the upcoming professional soccer season in February 2023, along with the start of the MLB regular season in late March.
In the streaming TV market, ad-supported tiers are becoming more popular since they give users a more affordable option in the face of rising content costs.
Rival services already use ad-supported plans to keep audiences, including Hulu, HBO Max and Peacock, while Disney+ and Netflix have set release dates for their ad-support tiers later this year.
The lone major SVOD holdout is still Apple TV+. Therefore, even though ads may only be coming to sports programming outside Apple’s main streaming service, they will most likely appear on Apple TV+ one day. It may be a question of when, not if.