iTunes Movies loses steam against its rivals

As the success of streaming video services like Netflix, Comcast, Amazon, HBO and others grows, iTunes Movies' movie rental and sales market share has been cut below half.

According to a recent report published by the newspaper The Wall Street Journal, Apple's share of video content sales and rentals has dropped by 20 to 35 percent, up from more than 50 percent in 2012, according to Hollywood sources.

The streaming services, which offer a flat rate for movies, series, documentaries and other programs for a modest monthly fee, are largely responsible for this situation, without forgetting the exorbitant iTunes rental and purchase prices, often well above the selling price of the physical product.

In this sense, to which sales and rentals of iTunes Movies sink, Amazon has seen its market share grow by 20 percent. Meanwhile, America's leading cable provider, Comcast already reaches 15 percent market share for movies and television shows.

Notably this drop is not uniform across genders audiovisuals as Apple has promoted independent films and signed exclusive rights agreements on content produced outside the main studios, becoming a stronger competitor in this field.

The Cupertino response To these figures is that Apple is focused on providing users with subscription services such as Netflix and HBO through the App Store. In addition, it has also pointed out that movie rentals and purchases have increased during the last twelve months to reach their highest level in more than a decade, a statement that contrasts with this report.

En general, The report explains that digital movie rentals and sales increased 12 percent last year however, Subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have contributed to declining revenue from the rental. Film sales have also seen a decline in revenue, reaching 21% compared to 29% in 2015.