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Apple may unveil video and news services March 25 -- but no AirPods

The event is supposed to be a star-studded affair, with celebs like J.J. Abrams, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston invited.

Joan E. Solsman Former Senior Reporter
Joan E. Solsman was CNET's senior media reporter, covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. She's reported from locations spanning from Disneyland to Serbian refugee camps, and she previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere and has been doored only once.
Expertise Streaming video, film, television and music; virtual, augmented and mixed reality; deep fakes and synthetic media; content moderation and misinformation online Credentials
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Joan E. Solsman
2 min read
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Apple's rumored March event is expected to take place in the Steve Jobs Theater at its Cupertino, California, headquarters. 

James Martin/CNET

Apple is expected to unveil its rumored video service and a news subscription service at an event March 25 at its Cupertino, California, campus, according to reports this week. But don't expect to see revamped Airpods or a new iPad Mini , one report said.

Apple didn't respond to a message seeking comment about the video service details. 

Both video and news are part of an Apple push to build up its services chops, as sales of its all-important  iPhone  have begun to sputter. Apple has made headlines over the last year with eyebrow-raising deals for the rumored TV service, lining up big-name projects from Oprah WinfreyReese WitherspoonM. Night Shyamalan and Steven Spielberg, among many others. And the iPhone maker's spin on a "Spotify for news" has been expected since Apple bought news subscription aggregator Texture last year. 

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The video service is expected to launch by the summer, according to a report by Bloomberg Wednesday, citing unnamed people familiar with the plan. Stars working with Apple on original programming -- including Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Garner and J.J. Abrams -- are invited to the March event. 

The unveiling of the news subscription service was expected to headline the presentation at the company's Apple Park campus, in the Steve Jobs Theater, according to a Tuesday report by BuzzFeed News. But it added that two other highly anticipated announcements -- next-generation AirPods and a new iPad Mini -- would be no-shows. 

Apple declined to comment Tuesday on the details of BuzzFeed's report. 

Apple's news subscription service was in the news earlier this week for the aggressive terms it's reportedly putting to news publishers. A report from The Wall Street Journal citing sources said Apple is asking publishers to agree to such terms as letting the tech giant keep half the service's revenue. 

The news and video service would join the company's Apple Music monthly subscription service for all-you-can-eat tunes on demand. Apple also operates in digital media through iTunes and its App Store. 

First published Feb. 12 at 2:06 p.m. PT. 
Update Feb. 13 at 4:25 p.m. PT: Adds report about video service plans. 

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