It’s Show Time! Apple Officially Announces March 25 Event

Apple has sent out media invites for a special keynote event on March 25 titled “It’s Show Time.” The event will take place at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, March 25 at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California.

The title, “It’s Show Time,” seems to line up with rumors that the keynote will be focused on new Apple services. More specifically, Apple is largely expected to debut a new premium Apple News subscription service and a first-party streaming platform with original TV content this year.

The Apple News subscription will allow customers access to various paywalled newspaper and magazine content for a rumored $9.99 a month fee. Some example publications include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

In addition to print newspapers, Apple’s news service is also expected to include magazines. Largely, that’s probably thanks to Apple’s acquisition of Texture — a previously third-party service that allowed access to a slew of magazines for a monthly fee.

It isn’t clear what other news sites could be included. While magazines are happy with Apple’s model, there are indications that print and digital news outlets with independent revenue streams are hesitant to agree to Apple’s terms.

Apple is also working on a slate of original TV shows — by last count, the company has about two dozen new shows in the works. Those shows will feature major names in Hollywood and beyond. In fact, celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell are all invited to the March 25 event, since they all have a role in first-party Apple content.

We’ll know more at the event, but past rumors suggest that the first batch of Apple TV shows could debut for free on the iOS TV app. While full-length feature movies aren’t on the docket for an initial launch, there are signs that Apple is considering that type of content down the line.

On the other hand, the actual original content platform may not debut at the event. Apple is expected to tease or announce the platform, but the official launch is still a ways off.

While most rumors suggest that it will be a strictly services-based keynote, it’s certainly within the realm of possibility that Apple could use the event to debut some new hardware.

Some pending hardware refreshes include a rumored iPad mini 5, AirPods 2, seventh-generation iPad, AirPower wireless charging mat, and a seventh-generation iPod touch. But, again, while it’s possible that some of these could get stage time on March 25, it might be best not to expect it.

It’s likely that Apple will officially release the public version of iOS 12.2 following the event. iOS 12.2, notably, has several notable features related to Apple News and TV-based services.

Apple will be live streaming the “It’s Show Time” event through the events app on Apple TV and on its website. iDrop News will be covering the event live, so check back here for all the latest news and announcements.