Apple already implements a similar advertising model in the App Store, where developers can pay to have their app promoted on a search page for a specific query, such as “puzzle games” or “photo editor.” As Gurman notes, Maps ads could work the same way, with businesses paying to appear at the top of search results when users enter specific search terms. Gurman thinks Apple could introduce ads into its native Podcasts and Books apps as well. This could potentially allow publishers to place ads in areas within each app or pay to place their content higher in search results. Just like Maps, Podcasts and Books are currently ad-free. And while the App Store already has ads in the Search tab, Gurman expects Apple to expand ads to the Today tab and app download pages, which tracks previous reports from 9to5Mac, Apple Insider, and MacRumors. According to 9to5Google, ads on the Today tab will appear as larger cards with the word “Ad” placed below the app name, while ads on individual app pages will appear in blue under the “You may also like” section. . Apple may want to expand its advertising activity even further Gurman also mentions the possibility of advertising on Apple TV Plus, and says the company could choose to create a lower-priced ad-supported tier, which both Netflix and Disney Plus plan to do by the end of this year. year. Right now, Apple TV Plus only offers an ad-free $4.99/month subscription plan (though it has started showing ads during Friday Night Baseball live streams). Apple first introduced ads in the App Store in 2016 and also shows apps in the Stocks and News apps. Last September, the company began asking users if they want to opt-in to personalized ads that appear in those apps, under its own App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy that has cost social platforms billions of dollars. ATT gives users the ability to disable the tracking tools that advertisers use to serve targeted ads. It may have contributed to the overall growth of Apple’s advertising sector, as it left businesses scrambling to rethink their advertising strategies. According to data obtained by Insider from research firm Omdia, Apple’s advertising business grew 238% to $3.7 billion in 2021. Apple’s move to open up more ad slots in its App Store — and potentially Maps, Podcasts and Books — could signal that Apple is looking to expand its advertising business even further. In May, a report from Insider revealed that Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, reportedly plans to restructure Apple’s services business to focus more on streaming and advertising. Apple’s services arm, which includes advertising and its various subscriptions, saw revenue rise 12% last quarter.
