Apple’s Next Press Event Pegged for March 25

By Janko Roettgers

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Apple will be holding its first press event of the year on March 25, BuzzFeed reported Tuesday afternoon. The event is said to be focused on services, and may include the announcement of a news subscription plan.

The iPhone maker didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

plans to hold the event in the Steve Jobs Auditorium on its Cupertino, Calif., campus, according to BuzzFeed. Apple’s long-rumored news subscription service could be the main announcement — if the company can work out its differences with publishers in time, that is.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that publishers were balking at Apple’s proposal of a 50-50 split for any revenue generated by the new subscription service.

Apple acquired a news subscription app called Texture a year ago. Texture currently offers unlimited access to some 200 magazines, including Vanity Fair, GQ and Wired, for $9.99 a month. The app presents articles in a look similar to that of the original magazine, promising to let subscribers read magazines “cover to cover.”

Bloomberg reported in December that Apple had plans to change that look to a more digital-native layout. The company was reportedly also looking to add major newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, to the subscription mix.

Apple could potentially also use the event to unveil its still-unannounced video service. The company has made no secret out of its desire to venture into premium video, and has struck deals with Oprah, Reese Witherspoon and others to produce exclusive content for the service.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has remained cagey about his company’s plans for the video service, telling investors on the company’s most recent earnings call that he was “not ready to extend that conversation” about specifics just yet.

At the same time, Apple executives have made no secret out of their desire to grow services revenue. “Our subscriptions are becoming a very large portion of our business,” Apple chief financial officer Luca Maestri said during the same earnings call.