Apple Joins Forces with Airtel: Revolutionizing Music and TV Streaming in India with an Unstoppable Alliance | Company News
Apple has a minor presence in India’s video streaming industry, with fewer than 1 million users, according to Counterpoint. However, a new partnership with Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom company, is poised to significantly boost Apple’s presence in this competitive market.
Under the deal, Apple will offer free access to Apple Music and Apple TV+ to many of Airtel’s 281 million customers. This move comes as Apple aims to increase revenue from services like music and video streaming, expanding its foothold in India beyond just manufacturing.
Data shows that Apple’s iPhones now make up 6% of India’s 690 million smartphones, up from 2% in 2019. The collaboration with Airtel could enhance Apple TV+ and Apple Music’s user base significantly.
In India, Apple Music will be integrated into Airtel’s Wynk music app, which will eventually be phased out. Although around 7 million Airtel subscribers have access to the ad-free Wynk, only a small fraction uses it.
Currently, Spotify leads in India with 3 million paid users, followed by Gaana with 1.4 million, Wynk with 500,000, and Apple Music with 200,000. The overall market for paid audio streaming services remains small but growing.
Apple TV+ faces stiff competition from Disney+ Hotstar and Netflix, which have 38 million and 10 million users respectively. Disney and Reliance Industries’ JioCinema also dominate by streaming popular cricket matches.
Airtel plans to offer packages including several months of free Apple TV+ access, which could widen Apple’s reach but may be hindered by the relatively limited local content on Apple TV+.
The partnership underscores Apple’s broader ambitions in India, a market where it has historically focused more on manufacturing but is now leveraging telecom alliances to grow its service segments.
Original Story https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/apple-set-for-music-tv-streaming-fight-in-india-after-deal-with-airtel-124090200126_1.html
Category :
Tags:
