Apple TV+ Launches 50-Movie Library for Limited Time; Is This a Glimpse of Streamer’s Future Plans?

Is Apple TV+ finally getting non-original titles in its streaming library? Yes, at least temporarily, at any rate, as the streamer has added a total of 51 movies to its streaming catalog, spanning every genre and including some true blockbusters. Apple stresses that these titles will only be available for a limited time, but it could be providing a glimpse into its own future with the additions. Having long focused on high-quality originals without the studio archives or licensing library of its competitors, Apple V+ has been a somewhat different type of streamer since it launched in November 2019.

• Titles available on Apple TV+ include “Star Trek,” “Kill Bill,” “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” “300” and more.
• Each movie will only be available on the streamer until March or April.
• Apple has resisted offering library titles before, but this move could signal a change in tactics.

Apple TV+ has made these movies free to all current subscribers, so there’s no add-on or additional purchase necessary to get them. New customers get a seven-day free trial of Apple TV+, after which the streamer costs $9.99 per month.

This is the first time that Apple has made such a large effort to incorporate non-original movies into its library. However, Apple has secured the rights to stream select non-original movies before, but only to promote its own content, such as it did when it offered other Jennifer Lawrence films ahead of the release of its original film “Causeway” on Apple TV+ in 2022.

The full list of movies now available on Apple TV+ for a limited time includes:

Will Apple TV+ Bring More Non-Originals to its Library?

To be sure, there are connective tissues between many of the 50+ films now available on Apple TV+ and its original shows and movies. For example, actor Tom Hanks appears in “Saving Private Ryan,” “Catch Me if You Can” and “Captain Phillips,” which could help Apple promote the new series “Masters of the Air,” for which Hanks served as executive producer. “Catch Me if You Can,” “Titanic” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” also star “Killers of the Flower Moon” lead Leonardo DiCaprio, creating another connection to original Apple content.

Still, there are plenty of titles on the list that have seemingly no connection to current Apple projects, which suggests that Apple is at the very least testing these films to see what effects they have on their audience. The company could be trying to boost engagement with Apple TV+, as the streamer’s above-average churn rate suggests that many viewers sign up to watch one show on the platform, then cancel before they’re billed again.

Having a bigger catalog of library shows and movies would give Apple TV+ customers something to do on the service between releases of anticipated original titles. A limited rollout of 50 movies spanning multiple genres could give Apple valuable insight as to which have been successful in keeping viewers watching.

Licensing is on the rise industry-wide at the moment, as studios are turning over couch cushions in search of revenues to prop up their streaming services. Apple can take advantage of this trend if it chooses, as its device retailing business brings in enough revenue that it doesn’t have to worry as much if its streaming service is profitable or not just yet.

Whether Apple will choose to expand its licensing or not remains unclear, but its addition of 50+ movies to its streaming library for a limited time could indicate that it plans to add more such titles in the future. Apple could finally be letting go of its strategy of providing only original shows and movies on its streamer Apple TV+.

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Apple TV+ is a subscription video streaming service for $9.99 a month that includes high-quality original shows and movies including Best Picture winner “CODA,” popular sitcom “Ted Lasso,” and dramas like “The Morning Show” and “Severance.” Apple TV+ is also home to MLB baseball games on Friday nights and MLS Season Pass.

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