You are correct.
Despite what i wrote, i personally believe what should really happen is an "all in one" bundle for $59-$89/month.
Microsoft or Apple would be best suited to make this happen in North America. Where you get gaming, music, fitness, E-BOOKS, news, movies and tv streaming all in one bundle.
For this to happen though, Microsoft would need to stop acquiring gaming companies and should have been looking at acquiring Paramount. They would have had live streaming with news, network tv, sports such as the NFL, etc. They should also acquire a news outlet like Bezos did with Washington Post.
If it was me, and I ran MS i would consider.
Paramount acquisition with Xbox IP being put on priority for tv shows, and movies. I would play it safe and not make ANYTHING woke, or controversial. I would go extremely "safe" with a Halo movie trilogy, Or use Spyro, or Viva Piñata as a kids tv series. Minecraft series, movies, books, everything. For example.
If a bundle looked like this for example:
Microsoft:
Spotify membership
Xbox Gamepass
Paramount + with new content from MS
Live streaming of sports and CBS News
Membership to news paper and magazines
Fitness apps like Apple Fitness
Ebooks
Podcast
If this was reworked into one do it all APP platform. I think you could easily charge $49/mo individual and $69-$89/mo for family.
For Apple, in my mind it looks something like:
With Apple acquisitions of TV, media, sports contracts,
Apple TV+ with new content from IP acquisition. DC from HBO for example, or some older IP from around the world to be remade or adapted to today. Flintstones, or Jetsons, Yogi bear, scooby doo, etc.
Apple TV+ also desperately needs some "mainstream" hits. Not just big one off's. They need a NCIS, Friends, or Big Bang Theory style hit. A procedural show that is weekly, that plays to mainstream audiences.
WSJ membership
Apple Music
Apple gaming (true gaming with acquisition of EA or someone bigger companies.) Possibly Ubisoft, Capcom, and Konami. Apple would leverage DC into games and Ubisoft, Capcom or Konami IP into games and movies. (Mass effect trilogy, Plants Vs Zombies, Assassins Creed, Prince of Persia, Rabbids, Rayman, Metal Gear, Castlevania, etc.)
Apple Fitness
Apple creates a live news service with WSJ. Like a CNN or CNBC.
E-books
Podcast
Anime - apple should have some high quality anime. They may have to buy legacy IP and remake it. Cowboy Bebop, Fist of the Northstar as example.
Apple comes to terms with sports, to have live sports weekly worldwide. MLB, Japan, Central America and Korea baseball, golf, NFL or college football. Men's and women's college basketball, F1 or NASCAR, Worldwide fishing, soccer, futbol. Etc.
ICloud+
Services bundled like these could also easily go for $49/mo individual to $89/month family.