Bharti Airtel ties up with Apple for entertainment content

Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership with phone maker Apple under which Airtel will make available exclusive content on Apple TV+ and Apple Music to customers in India.

Airtel customers will be able to access Apple Music and Apple TV+ content on Xstream with premium Airtel WiFi and Postpaid plans, beginning later this year.

Airtel will also extend exclusive offers on Apple Music to users of Wynk Premium in India as its competes with rivals like Reliance Jio for a larger share of the telecom market.

Airtel did not disclose the cost of the deal. However, the deal will lead to the closure of Airtel’s Wynk music app and transfer of associated staff to other verticals, say reports.

It may be noted that Reliance Jio is partnering with Walt Disney’s India business in an $8.5 billion merger. The merger, which would create the country’s biggest entertainment group, is currently awaiting regulatory approval.

Apple revolutionized the music experience with iPod and iTunes, a catalog of over 100 million songs and expertly curated playlists.

Airtel Xstream fiber already offers a large selection of TV shows, movies and web series bundled with its WiFi plans. The addition of Apple TV+ will further expand its entertainment offering.