I see it is as a sign of them giving up on making their own TV (I thought it might have been a rumour, but I might be wrong).
What I find more interesting though is the timing: a deal like this would probably have been in the works for months in advance of the Tim Cook investor update earlier in the week. Apple would have also had to make the software for this version of iTunes too. What chipsets do these Samsung TVs have? Is it similar to one for an Android phone? Could iTunes/Apple Music show up on Android next?
It also recently became available on Amazon Echo devices, so I wouldn't read anything special into it becoming available on Samsung TVs (given that Apple's Homepod directly competes with Echo): https://www.wired.com/story/apple-music-on-amazon-echo/
They just want rent for movies and tv. Lifetime revenue of decades and thousands per person. Licensing deals with Samsung and probably many more is easier than making another Apple TV that people want a lot.
What I find more interesting though is the timing: a deal like this would probably have been in the works for months in advance of the Tim Cook investor update earlier in the week. Apple would have also had to make the software for this version of iTunes too. What chipsets do these Samsung TVs have? Is it similar to one for an Android phone? Could iTunes/Apple Music show up on Android next?