Sources: Apple held separate exploratory discussions with media agencies about monetizing its original video content through ads, possibly as early as 2023
Digiday
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple has been circling video advertising for years without committing: its original-content push dates to 2017, when it was already promising producers viewer metrics, and it paid BuzzFeed first-window rights with a share of ad revenue for an Apple News documentary in 2018. The agency talks reported here are the first sign those ad mechanics might extend to Apple's own premium originals.
The timing matters because Apple was simultaneously building ad infrastructure elsewhere — sources reported it was constructing a live TV ad network around its Major League Soccer deal. Monetizing originals through agencies would turn that plumbing into a broader TV-ad business rather than a one-off sports arrangement.
First-order effects
Media agencies gain a prospective new premium-video inventory source: if the talks progress, they would plan and buy Apple original content alongside traditional TV and streamer budgets as early as 2023.
Apple's originals shift from being purely a subscription value-add to carrying direct ad revenue, changing what the company needs from producers — the audience data sharing it promised back in 2017 becomes sellable targeting.
Second-order effects
The MLS live-ad-network build gives Apple distribution and sales infrastructure it can repurpose for originals, lowering the cost of extending ads across the TV+ catalog once one vertical proves out.
Ratings and measurement bodies enter Apple's orbit: the later talks with UK ratings body Barb over tracking Apple TV+ ads show that selling agency inventory forces Apple to accept third-party verification it historically avoided.
Third-order effects
If the pattern holds, Apple converges with the rest of streaming on a hybrid model — subscription plus advertising — with its walled-garden data position as the differentiator agencies would pay for.
Producers and rights holders gain a second monetization lane on Apple platforms, echoing the BuzzFeed revenue-share template and weakening the assumption that Apple originals exist only to drive device and service loyalty.
The trend: Subscription video platforms are layering advertising onto their catalogs, and Apple is following the same path from app-promotion ads toward full TV inventory.
As predicted, streaming giants across the board are now adopting - or now in the case of Apple, reportedly exploring - an ad-supported tier. Good for business, provides choice to customers, and is a path to greater ARPU. The future is bright! https://digiday.com/...
As I wrote in August, Apple is exploring bringing ads to TV+, Apple Books and its other storefronts. But up first, next year, is advertising coming to Apple Maps. https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Obviously oriented to Apple TV+, so Apple's clearly looking at a Netflix-like ad-supported tier here. Could mean more than just Apple originals ... could mean more “channels” or brands. But when Apple sees the easy money in ads ... I doubt it ends there. https://digiday.com/...
When Apple attacked FB and Google with “privacy” changes to accessing the phone ID it was all about the war for ad dollars. Apple wants them. The biggest prize is TV. It is finally moving online at scale and now identity can be used to personalize the ads.
In the end we will have spent eight years burning billions of dollars and hundreds of jobs, destroyed untold number of great, original projects to recreate a less profitable version of cable TV. https://twitter.com/...
Probably not a coicidence that @AppleTVPlus is talking more openly about their @MLS deal just as their are reports that Apple is looking at brining ad sales for TV programming in-house https://digiday.com/... https://twitter.com/...
If Apple pushes into tv ads, I'd think nabbing Sunday Ticket makes even more sense (I realize they wouldn't control all the ads) https://twitter.com/...