We want to have people watch our service — or our content on our service. And if it had joined forces with Apple, Netflix also would have received little to no data about who is subscribing or watching its stuff. Further muddying the company’s identity, from the Netflix point of view, would be the fact that Apple users who spooled up “Stranger Things” or “Orange Is the New Black” may not be aware that they’re watching a Netflix show. The focus on Apple’s programming makes for a tantalizing narrative, given how long Silicon Valley in general and Apple in particular have remained agnostic about owning content. Apple’s shows are likely to be free for a period to entice users into other subscriptions, such as CBS and HBO and Starz, with Apple functioning as the reseller.

Source: New York Times March 22, 2019 20:09 UTC