Amid escalating competition in India’s $28 billion entertainment sector and the regulatory scrutiny surrounding the $8.5 billion merger of Reliance and Walt Disney’s Indian media assets, Apple is making a strategic move by partnering with India’s Airtel. This collaboration will see Airtel’s premium customers enjoying free access to Apple’s music and video streaming services, potentially expanding the U.S. tech giant’s reach in a highly price-sensitive market.
Airtel announced on Tuesday that Apple TV+ will be bundled with its premium WiFi and postpaid plans, although the financial details of the deal remain undisclosed.
Currently a niche player in India, Apple TV+—with its predominantly English-language content—competes with heavyweights like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and Mukesh Ambani’s JioCinema. By bundling its streaming services with telecom plans, Apple aims to rapidly grow its user base, following a strategy similar to its competitors.
Starting later this year, Airtel’s premium broadband and postpaid subscribers will gain access to Apple TV+ and Apple Music as part of their existing plans. As part of this partnership, Airtel is expected to shut down its music app, Wynk, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Airtel, with 281 million subscribers in India, trails behind Reliance Jio, which boasts 489 million users.
