Netflix has spent years building up its 158
million subscribers worldwide. Hulu has 28
million. The new players want to ramp up
subscribers quickly to show they can compete.
So the services have launched the digital
equivalent of the old cable promos: lure you in
with discounted rates, then jack up the price
after a year or two. But digital customers have
more choices than cable customers of yore so a
big question is whether they’ll stick around.
Apple TV Plus for $5 a month with just nine
shows and a few more coming soon. It’s already
cheaper than the $13 a month Netflix charges
for its most popular plan. Buyers of any new
iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod Touch get a