Last year, Apple introduced TV show rentals to iTunes and their Apple TV, and now it looks like the service has been canceled according to a recent report by All Things D.
The service would let you rent an episode of a TV show for $0.99. Now, you can only buy individual episodes or purchase a season pass which will let you watch the whole season of the TV show.
It looks like the service hasn’t been popular amongst iTunes users and Apple TV users, and this is the reason that it has been canceled. Apple released the following statement.
“iTunes customers have shown they overwhelmingly prefer buying TV shows,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said. “iTunes in the Cloud lets customers download and watch their past TV purchases from their iOS devices, Apple TV, Mac or PC allowing them to enjoy their programming whenever and however they choose.”
Reasons Behind the Cancellation
The decision to cancel the TV show rental service appears to be driven by several factors. Firstly, the demand for renting TV shows was significantly lower compared to purchasing them. This trend was evident from the user data collected by Apple, which showed that customers preferred to own their favorite TV shows rather than rent them for a limited period.
Additionally, the TV studios themselves were not particularly enthusiastic about the rental model. The revenue generated from rentals was not as lucrative as outright purchases, leading studios to favor the latter. This shift in preference from both consumers and content providers made the rental service less viable.
Impact on Users and Alternatives
For users, the cancellation of the rental service means that they now have to spend more money if they want to watch TV shows through iTunes. While renting an episode for $0.99 was a cost-effective way to catch up on missed episodes, buying individual episodes or season passes can be more expensive. However, the advantage is that once purchased, these episodes can be watched multiple times without any time constraints.
Apple’s iTunes in the Cloud service offers a significant benefit by allowing users to download and watch their past TV purchases from various devices, including iOS devices, Apple TV, Mac, or PC. This flexibility ensures that users can enjoy their purchased content anytime and anywhere, which is a considerable advantage over the rental model.
Moreover, the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video has also played a role in the decline of TV show rentals. These platforms offer extensive libraries of TV shows and movies for a monthly subscription fee, providing a more convenient and cost-effective alternative to renting individual episodes.
It would appear that the TV studios are no longer interested in offering the service as well, as rentals of TV shows have been much lower than actual purchases.
Source All Things D
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