Apple TV+, which predominantly offers English-language content, has a relatively modest presence in India’s $28 billion media and entertainment market. It faces stiff competition from major players such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and Mukesh Ambani’s JioCinema.
This development occurs as competition in India’s media market intensifies, with an $8.5 billion merger between the Indian media assets of Reliance and Walt Disney—each having their own streaming service—under close scrutiny from antitrust regulators.
“Airtel announced on Tuesday that Apple TV+ will be included with its premium WiFi and postpaid plans,” the company said in a statement. However, neither Airtel nor Apple provided details about the financial terms of the partnership or any information on pricing.
Apple Music will be offered to existing premium users of Airtel’s Wynk music app, which is set to be discontinued. Airtel stated that employees from Wynk will be absorbed into the company.
According to two sources familiar with the strategy, Apple’s deal with Airtel aims to expand its digital services to a significantly larger consumer base, leveraging Airtel’s position as the second-largest telecom operator in India with 281 million subscribers. In comparison, Reliance Jio, owned by Mukesh Ambani, has 489 million users.
Apple TV+, recognized for its original series such as *Ted Lasso*, *The Morning Show*, and *Slow Horses*, has distinguished itself in the streaming market through its emphasis on in-house content. Unlike many competitors in India and globally, which provide a mix of older movies and TV shows from various studios along with their own original productions, Apple TV+ primarily focuses on its exclusive, original offerings.
Airtel is expected to announce new tariff plans within days that will include complimentary access to Apple TV+, according to two sources familiar with the plans.
Currently, Apple TV+ is priced at $9.99 per month in the U.S. and 99 Indian rupees ($1.18) per month in India. In comparison, Reliance JioCinema offers free cricket content and has plans starting at just 29 rupees per month, while Netflix begins at 149 rupees per month.
Cricket is a major draw for streaming platforms in India, and Disney faced a significant setback last year when it lost millions of users after losing the rights to stream the Indian Premier League to Reliance’s Jio.
Currently, Apple holds a 6% share of India’s 690 million smartphone users, according to Counterpoint Research. The rest of the market is largely dominated by Samsung and Xiaomi devices, which are primarily powered by Google’s Android operating system.