We can use this thread to discuss the upcoming Apple's "It's Show Time" media event which is taking place on 25 March 2019. This gives us plenty of time to speculate and express out thoughts and opinions before the event, and then discuss what Apple actually announces during the event.
ETA: As the OP, I think it is appropriate to compare/discuss other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Hulu with Live TV, Sling, DirecTV Now, Amazon Prime, et cetera, at least in the context of how they compare to whatever Apple introduces. I also say ditto for other devices like the Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, et cetera, at least in the context of how they compare to the Apple TVs or any new hardware Apple might release.
The "It's Show Time" media event is probably going to be about Apple's new streaming service as well as Apple's new revised News service. It might also introduce some new hardware, though I haven't heard any reliable rumors to that effect yet.
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Announcements and Information from the It's Show Time Event
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Note: This will be periodically updated during the event.
10:04am PDT: Opening statement: "Today is ALL about services."
10:09am PDT: Apple News is first topic.
--------- News+ Service ($9.99/month)---------
10:11am PDT: Apple News now includes magazines. They renamed the new service
Apple News+.
10:14am PDT: Apple News+ includes over 300 magazines.
10:21am PDT: Apple News+ includes premium digital subscriptions like the LA Times and WSJ.
10:20am PDT: Apple News+ forbids advertisers from tracking you.
10:20am PDT: Apple News+ costs $9.99/month and can be shared with everyone in your family at no extra cost.
10:21am PDT: Apple News+ is available starting today for USA and Canada (25 March 2019) in iOS 12.2.
--------- Card Service---------
10:28am PDT: Apple Card is a brand new service for credit cards.
10:32am PDT: Apple Card has a feature called Daily Cash which is a cash back program that pays you everyday. Every time you pay with Apple Pay / Card you get 2% cash back that day. You get 3% cash back when paying for Apple services or products bought from Apple.
10:36am PDT: Apple Card has NO fees at all, they claim. Interest rates will be low.
10:36am PDT: Apple Card is a partnership with Goldman Sachs and Mastercard.
10:38am PDT: With Apple Card Apple does not track what you buy, how much you paid, where you bought it, or any of that kind of information on the Apple servers. No data/info will ever be shared with other sources.
--------- Arcade Service ($?.??/month TBA)---------
10:42am PDT: The biggest category in the App Store is Gaming.
10:44am PDT: Apple is introducing the Apple Arcade Service.
10:49am PDT: Every game is available for offline playing.
10:50am PDT: Apple Arcade will not track any user data. It can be shared with whole family for no additional charge. It is an "all you can play" service.
10:50am PDT: Apple Arcade will be available this Fall. Pricing and detail will come later...
--------- TV+ Service ($?.??/month TBA)---------
10:52am PDT: Apple TV App now contains channels plus they added movies and access to your cable/satellite/streaming service through the Apple TV.
10:56am PDT: Apple TV App now allows On Demand for all channels, movies, etc. without Ads.
10:58am PDT: Apple TV App now allows you to view various sources/channels from one app without having to bounce around between different apps.
11:02am PDT: Apple TV still looks to me to be a cluttered interface. I have not seen any TV schedules, just categories where you explore what is on from all of your sources. The interface reminds me of the Amazon Prime interface, which is cluttered and not very good for quickly finding what you want unless you already know what that is. Looks like a lot scrolling and exploring rather than quickly finding someting to watch and actually watching it.
Meh...
11:05am PDT: Apple TV new stuff available this May and updating the Apple TV App this Fall. Apple will bring the Apple TV App to smart TVs, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.
11:05am PDT: Apple TV App will never share your data with anyone.
11:05am PDT: Apple TV experience to be called TV+ Service.
11:13am PDT: A whole lot of yapping about TV+ Service, but they are NOT giving many details. Seems to me they probably don't have many details to give at this point. Seems to be half baked based on what I'm seeing, or not seeing, but no telling what it might actually develop into.
11:17am PDT: Spielberg on stage talking about the resurrection of the Amazing Stories TV series. Other actors on stage talking about their shows. Yawn...
11:30am PDT: Still a bunch more actors on stage talking about their shows. Hard to stay awake at this point. A lot of fluff and flare but very little substance or details...
11:35am PDT: To sum up what we have learned so far about TV+ Service far is best illustrated by
and
.
11:38am PDT: Apparently TV+ Service will emphasize original programming and hopes to be the single best destination for customers to get that. How it will achieve that is very unclear.
11:41am PDT: The TV+ Service will be an Ad-free subscription service. Coming this Fall.
11:50am PDT: They never said how much the TV+ Service will cost.
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That is all from It's Show Time Event
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