If you attract 10 million subscribers at say $9.99 a month yet attract 50 million subsribers at 5.99 a month, the math suggests $5.99 is the better option.
Consider that if you charge so little that many subscribers to other streaming services sign on because it's such a small additional cost, your potential subscriber base is dramatically expanded. If instead of having to convince consumers to pick your streaming service instead of an alternative service like Netflix, you offer your service as a compliment, many more consumers would potentially sign up.
Also, consumers already can have volume from established players in the streaming space. If all the participants struggle to produce a volume of offerings that justifies higher and higher subscription rates, the quality will be spread alarmingly thin. There is only so much quality production that can be conjured up. There is already a lot of junk served up as it is on services like Netflix. Lots of good content, sure, but a lot of filler, too. Apple shouldn't be looking to add to the junk pile.
I completely agree with you. However, my gut says Apple does not do that. When has Apple taken that approach? They always go the high end route.
Only carrying Apple's own productions and consequently charging less is going high end. When you gather up a lot more content that, consequently, ups the cost, you inevitably have to serve up some weaker material because there is only so much high-grade content being created and Apple is not the only entity producing it. The catch is that you have to charge more to cover the costs of that additional content and that likely leads to fewer subscribers. It would be hubris on Apple's part to operate on the basis of being the only source of content for a particular consumer. Apple apparantly wants to focus on family-friendly content and that's a good thing, I'd say. Yet, the same household could quite easily want such content and be interested in other product of a different stripe.
Keep in mind that a surprisingly low price is one of the crucial aspects of the original iPad that led to the legitimate arrival of tablets as a consumer commodity. Prior to the iPad launch, whatever tablets were being brought to market were ridiculously expensive.
Comments
Keep in mind that a surprisingly low price is one of the crucial aspects of the original iPad that led to the legitimate arrival of tablets as a consumer commodity. Prior to the iPad launch, whatever tablets were being brought to market were ridiculously expensive.
Price matters. It can shape a market.