Apple and Samsung Partner to Bring iTunes on Samsung TVs

• Two fierce former rivals are now pattering against new threats, common to both.
• Samsung TV owners will now enjoy Apple TV, AirPlay, and iTunes content on their devices.
• Apple focuses more on the media services market, although it will be hard to compete with established companies in this field.

An unlike collaboration between tech giants Apple and Samsung was announced today, with the main point being the offering of iTunes movies and shows on Samsung TVs. As Apple continues to struggle in maintaining a profit through their hardware products, media platforms and services are receiving increasing attention from the heads in Cupertino, as they are continually bringing more and more revenue in. In this context, Apple is looking to reach out to a broader audience and potential customers, establishing relationships with all platform holders, even those owned by some of their most “traditional” rivals. Samsung holds 33% of the smart TV market right now, so this is a solid move by Apple, allowing them to bring their services to many millions of potential new users.

Apple and Samsung maintained a patent infringement war for over a seven years period which ended this summer. However, this didn’t prevent them from exchanging technology and spare parts, as Samsung was still selling smartphone screens to Apple, no matter their multi-dimensional rivalry which spanned both on the courts and on the smartphone market. This new deal is indicative of how the two see each other now, as both have to gain from each other, targeting different consumer audiences and increasing their profits by expanding the pie for both. As Michael Gartenberg, a former Apple marketing executive has stated specifically: “The deal shows that perhaps Apple doesn’t quite view Samsung as the enemy it used to. There are others both Apple, and Samsung should worry about, or the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Apple is clearly shifting its focus to the provision of media services to its user base, as only a few weeks ago they announced the availability of Apple Music on the Amazon Echo. With iTunes media now coming to Samsung TVs, Apple customers will be able to consume content and increase the revenue of their favorite company on all manifestations of their daily entertainment. But this is not just about Apple customers as users of non-Apple devices like Android can also enjoy Apple’s applications nowadays.

However, the field of the media distribution is not a bed of roses for Apple, as the competition is fierce in this sector as well. Spotify is still king in the category of music services, and getting a piece from it on the Play Store will be especially hard. The situation is similar to Amazon’s platform, as well as the Netflix service, as Apple is looking to make a dynamic entrance on a market that has solidified players who have already invested a lot. For now, the deal with Samsung TV looks like having a good business potential, and owners of these products will not have to purchase an Apple TV box in order to enjoy the new content.

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