Samsung Smart TV models will offer iTunes Movies and TV Shows and Apple AirPlay 2 support as of Spring 2019.
The new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app will debut on Samsung Smart TVs in more than 100 countries, while AirPlay 2 support will be available in 190 countries worldwide.
The app will allow Samsung customers to access their existing iTunes library and browse the iTunes Store to buy or rent from a selection of hundreds of thousands of films and TV episodes — including the largest selection of 4K HDR movies.
AirPlay 2 support will enable customers to play videos, music and podcasts from Apple devices directly to Samsung smart TVs, including QLED 4K and 8K TVs.
Won-Jin Lee, executive vice president, service business of visual display at Samsung Electronics, said: “We pride ourselves on working with top industry leaders to deliver the widest range of content services to our smart TV platform. Bringing more content, value and open platform functionality to Samsung TV owners and Apple customers through iTunes and AirPlay is ideal for everyone.”
Industry analyst Paolo Pescatore called the development “a fascinating move as both companies have struggled to make strides in services. Samsung has made numerous failed moves in video services while Apple is still seeking to crack the TV landscape.
“Samsung is better placed than rivals to act as an aggregator given its broad distribution reach. For this reason, it will provide a much needed services revenue boost for Apple. Significantly the tie-up underlines the importance of scale. Furthermore, for Apple this suggests a change in focus on making its services available on rival platforms rather than tightly integrating it into its own devices,” he added.
