Airtel Partners with Apple for Apple TV+ and Apple Music Bundles

Airtel has established a collaboration with Apple to offer a bundle of Apple TV+ and Apple Music for select Airtel postpaid subscribers. As part of this agreement, customers using Airtel Home Wi-Fi on plans commencing from ₹999 will benefit from Apple TV+ included in their subscription. In addition, postpaid customers on plans priced at ₹999 and above will enjoy both Apple TV+ and a complimentary six-month trial of Apple Music.

Apple’s Strategy for Service Expansion

This collaboration signifies Apple’s ongoing initiative to enhance its services revenue, reflecting the company’s shift in focus away from just hardware sales. Apple has endeavoured to make its content and services more widely available, recently introducing an Android application for Apple TV+ and reportedly investigating advertising opportunities on Apple Maps, along with potentially launching Apple Maps on Android devices. This approach aligns with Apple’s overarching strategy to boost user engagement with its digital products and enhance subscription revenue, which reportedly reached nearly $100 billion in 2024 according to company records.

Airtel’s Competitive Edge in the Telecom Market

For Airtel, this partnership reinforces its standing in India’s fiercely competitive telecom sector, where the bundling of premium entertainment services has become a vital distinguishing factor. The addition of Apple TV+ and Apple Music effectively complements Airtel’s existing collaborations with renowned platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ Hotstar, thus offering customers a comprehensive range of digital content.

Breakdown of Airtel’s Enhanced Offerings

• Home Wi-Fi Subscribers: Plans starting from ₹999 will incorporate Apple TV+ along with other streaming services.
• Postpaid Subscribers: Customers on plans of ₹999 and higher will receive Apple TV+ alongside six months of free Apple Music.

Given that India is a market highly sensitive to pricing, Airtel’s bundling approach is likely to facilitate Apple’s expansion of its subscriber base in the nation, where telecom and broadband plans increasingly include streaming services. This partnership with Airtel follows comparable initiatives by rivals such as Jio and Vi, which have also integrated high-quality content into their offerings to attract and retain valuable customers.