There’s a fantastic streaming service that launched in 2019 and has been steadily churning out critical favorites ever since but hasn’t drawn the same audience attention as the others. In fact, you might have never even used it or seen some of its most expensive blockbuster hopefuls in theaters, and we think we know why (and how to fix it).
Apple TV+ has produced exclusive movies from Academy Award winners like Tom Hanks, George Clooney, and Matt Damon. It even won the streaming race for Best Picture at the Oscars just a few years ago with CODA. The streamer also has a strong lineup of original TV shows, including the highly decorated feel-good comedy Ted Lasso, a Steven Spielberg-produced WWII epic, a heartwarming comedy with Harrison Ford, and a variety of dramas, including Emmys darling The Morning Show.
Despite a star-studded roster and some truly quality programming, though, there’s a strong chance you’ve never seen any of these films or TV shows on this streamer because it has remained well under the radar. Despite pouring millions of dollars into its streaming service, only two of Apple TV+’s series, Masters of the Air and Presumed Innocent, have ever even charted on Nielsen. Apple TV+ not only has lower subscription numbers than most of its contemporaries and virtually no presence on the ratings charts, it also has an identity problem.
Still, it’s loaded with potential, and there are several steps Apple could take to make its streamer a true rival to the likes of Disney+ and Netflix. Here’s how the company can fix Apple TV+.
1. Acquire a new catalog.
Apple TV+ has a small but mighty roster of top-line shows, but there’s no library to keep viewers on the service once they’ve binged their favorite series. To keep people from swapping apps after plowing through the latest season of Severance, they need something else to watch. Apple has deep pockets so buying an established studio and adding that studio’s content to its library is a good way to build a deep catalog quickly.
Lionsgate, which has been looking for a buyer for a while, would make a ton of sense. On the film front, Lionsgate owns some proven franchises including The Hunger Games, John Wick, Saw, and Twilight. The company also owns STARZ, home to TV series like Outlander and Spartacus. Buying Lionsgate would instantly boost Apple TV+’s library and weaken Peacock, who currently has a deal with the studio.
If Tim Cook really wanted to swing for the fences, though, he’d buy Warner Bros. Discovery. Its CEO, David Zaslav, has been openly looking to either sell the company or find someone to partner with. An Apple/WBD combo would bring an immense HBO library that includes hit shows like The Sopranos, The White Lotus, The Wire, and The Last of Us while bringing major film franchises like Batman, Harry Potter, and The Lord of the Rings into the fold. (It’d also likely mean a total absorption of Max, which is the proprietary streamer of WBD.)
2. Be choosey on the theatrical front.
Despite having the distinction of being the first streaming service to win an Academy Award with CODA in 2022, Apple has struggled theatrically. It has paid exorbitant amounts of money and hasn’t gotten much in return (and recently reduced its big-picture budget as a result).
Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon, Argylle, and Fly Me to the Moon may have had marquee stars and/or proven directors and plenty of production money to work with, but they were all box office disappointments. When Apple pulled Wolfs, a film starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, from its planned fall 2024 theatrical release, it was a clear signal the company had no confidence in its film release strategy.
Despite setbacks in the last two years, Apple could quickly reverse its fortunes by abandoning its high-dollar approach and start using its own Oscar-winning film as an inspiration. CODA, with a budget of only $10 million, is just the type of prestige film the streaming service should be trying to make. It’s also an inexpensive way to get into theaters, which everyone in Hollywood hopes for with a film studio (making it appealing to stars and directors) while staying relevant to mainstream filmgoers. If Apple TV+ becomes known as the place to find fine new awards season fare, it would be a go-to destination for cinefiles.
CODA (Credit: Apple TV+)
3. Find a new marketing head.
Ricky Strauss, who was hired away from Disney+, lasted less than a year and a half as the marketing head for Apple TV+. He left the company in May 2024 and stunningly has never been replaced.
Overall, Apple’s marketing teams have expertise in branding, marketing, and selling their products, like iPhones, iPads, AirPods, and Apple Watches. There is no end to Apple’s product lines and no end to their skill at telling you all about them. Heck, Apple’s 1984 Macintosh commercial directed by Ridley Scott is one of the most famous in advertising history.
However, if you asked someone on the street to name five Apple TV+ shows, they’d likely mention Ted Lasso and maybe The Morning Show and wouldn’t get much further. A marketing chief could change this. Apple needs to find the right person to not only give Apple TV+ an identity but also make viewers aware of its incredible content. Shrinking is phenomenal. Bad Monkey is a great mix of crime drama and comedy. Presumed Innocent is riveting. Get the word out with some catchy ads or a clever slogan so people know what they’re missing.
4. Sign a sports deal that matters.
Apple TV+ is the home to Friday Night Baseball and Major League Soccer. That’s not enough. Sports deals draw in viewers and reduce churn. This is why Netflix signed a 10-year deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for the broadcast rights to Monday Night Raw for $5 billion. Netflix has another sports deal with the NFL, paying them $150 million a year for the next three years to air games on Christmas Day. Meanwhile, Amazon has an 11-year, $1.8 billion a year deal to get the third-best NBA broadcasting deal available, after NBC and Disney took their bites. Sports rights are big business.
Apple TV+ needs an eye-catching sports partner. Formula 1 is growing in popularity, and ESPN’s broadcast rights expire in 2025. With the Apple-produced Brad Pitt film, F1, coming out this year, Formula 1 would seem to be a perfect fit. ESPN’s deal with the UFC also expires in 2025, which should intrigue the folks in Cupertino, California. But if Apple really wants to be a player in sports, Tim Cook will have his checkbook ready for some football. The NFL can opt out of its rights with all of its media partners, except Disney, after the 2028-2029 season. Having professional football on Apple TV+, even in a small capacity like Netflix has now, would be a massive win.
5. Make friends with Netflix.
The biggest name in streaming has a bustling slate of originals but still loves to shell out beaucoups to acquire content owned by others. Netflix has licensing deals with multiple studios, which is why you see TV shows like Lost (ABC), Sex and the City (HBO), Breaking Bad (AMC), The Good Place (NBC), and Interview With the Vampire (AMC) all on the same streamer. Besides being a way for a studio to make some cash from its library, it’s also a good way to bring fresh eyes to an ongoing show; Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Schitt’s Creek all enjoyed viewership boosts from their earlier seasons hitting the streamer that paid off during their runs. It can also help revitalize an already-ended series; Suits is perhaps the best example of the latter, as it had disappeared from everyone’s radar until it landed on Netflix, found a new audience, and is now being given a spinoff.
Apple TV+ could use Netflix to its advantage by placing the first or second season of some of its best original shows there, letting an audience find it, and then having them head to Apple to continue watching. Cash from Netflix could help pay for the aforementioned sports deal, educate viewers on the quality and content of Apple TV+ programming, and increase subscribers. It would be a win for both Netflix and Apple TV+.
