Apple services chief Eddy Cue says ‘No’ to Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video-like strategy: ‘I don’t want to say no forever but…’

Apple executive Eddy Cue, who oversees the company’s services business, has dismissed speculation that Apple TV will introduce an advertising-supported tier like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video or engage in a major acquisition of a content library like Warner Bros.

Discovery (WBD) or Disney. In an interview this week with Screen International, Cue reaffirmed Apple's commitment to its current content strategy.

No plans for an ad tier ‘at this time’

Apple TV+ remains the only major streaming platform without a lower-priced, ad-supported subscription option, a strategy embraced by nearly all of its main competitors. When pressed on whether Apple TV+ has an ad tier planned, Cue was clear:“Nothing at this time. Again, I don’t want to say no forever, but there are no plans,” Cue responded.

He added that if Apple can remain aggressive with its pricing, “it’s better for consumers not to get interrupted with ads.”While Apple TV+ is ad-free, the company does sell advertisements on its live sports programming, such as MLS and the upcoming Formula 1 coverage.

Acquisitions: Build, not buy

Cue was also dismissive of the rampant industry speculation suggesting Apple might make a bid for a major studio or content library, such as WBD, A24, or even Disney.

Many analysts believe a large acquisition would help Apple TV+ quickly expand its smaller content library to compete with streaming giants.“Same answer as before, but you’ve got to look at Apple from a historical point of view,” Cue said. “We don’t do a lot of major acquisitions. We do very small acquisitions in general, not related to Apple TV, so I don’t see that happening because we like what we’re doing. We’re building and we’ll continue building from that,” he added.Apple's largest acquisition to date was the $3 billion purchase of Beats in 2014.