Apple TV wants to go big

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In 2022, Apple won an Oscar. The company behind the Mac and iPhone made a splash by winning Best Picture with the indie darling CODAthe remake of a French-Belgian film about the only hearing member of a family whose fishing business is in trouble. It was created on a modest budget of around $10 million, and yet despite its relatively modest beginnings, the film was for a time a centerpiece for one of the world’s most valuable companies and its newest push into film and television.

The success of CODA is indicative of Apple’s streaming service as a whole. Although it gained praise and respect, it wasn’t exactly a mainstream success. Rewards do not necessarily equal viewership. And while Apple TV has released several acclaimed shows and movies, it has yet to translate into a major share of the streaming market.

Since its debut in 2019, Apple TV has largely been a curiosity, an effort focused more on prestige than scale and profits. While other streamers fight for market share, Apple seems content to use its streaming service to boost its image. The result was that for years the service saw few major successes and also suffered from a lack of content compared to its competitors. Unlike Netflix or Disney, Apple has not tried to expand its library by bidding for the streaming rights to sure hits like Friends Or The office. Instead, it focused primarily on original programming that you can’t find anywhere else.

It took several years of more failures than successes to get to where Apple is today: a relatively small streaming service that nevertheless has a solid lineup. For television, this means above all prestige dramas, particularly in the field of science fiction, with brilliant adaptations such as the space epic. Foundationbeloved hits like the surreal mystery box Breakup, and more recent hits like the end of the world drama Pluribus Since Break the bad creator Vince Gilligan. Meanwhile, his film roster includes the likes of CODA alongside new films from iconic and influential directors including Spike Lee, Sofia Coppola and Martin Scorsese (who also made a memorable appearance in Apple’s Hollywood satire The Workshopwhich dominated the Emmys this year). There were some hiccups, of course (see: The Gorges And Argyle), but the emphasis on quality over metrics has helped Apple at least carve out a distinct niche in a very crowded space.

But that could change. Perhaps buoyed by the mainstream success of Ted Lassoor pressure from the top brass for a higher return on investment, Apple has taken steps recently that seem pretty clearly intended to bring its streaming service to a much wider audience.

First, it has a new name, changing from Apple TV Plus to just Apple TV. It may just be removing a single word – giving the service a simpler title – but Apple is presenting it as something much bigger, calling it a “dynamic new identity.” Apple then went all out to make that point: the company hired composer (and Billie Eilish’s brother) Finneas to create a new intro sound that plays before every show and movie, and even created a new intro sequence constructed using real glass.

The two agreements recently announced by Apple are perhaps more illustrative of this new push. Starting in October, you can get the service bundled with Peacock, which at first glance is an odd combination. On the Apple side you have prestige dramas like the spy thriller Slow horsesand with Peacock you have reality TV like love island. But in reality, it’s a smart play. Instead of filling supposed gaps in its library by licensing network TV shows, Apple is partnering with another streamer that offers a lot of things it doesn’t. It’s like subscribing to cable for HBO and NBC.

There’s similar thinking behind Apple snapping up exclusive US streaming rights for Formula 1 races. Live programming, and sports in particular, is the next frontier in streaming, which is why everyone seems to be getting into it. Netflix offers boxing and NFL, while Amazon streams hockey, basketball and NFL. Apple made its first major move in the field with a deal with Major League Soccer which received a big boost when Lionel Messi decided to ply his trade in Miami. And starting next year, MLS matches will be part of the basic Apple TV subscription, available at no additional cost.

But the five-year deal with F1 is a much bigger play, as it means exclusive rights to the highest level of a particular sport (sorry, MLS fans). And just like MLS in 2026, F1 will be available as part of the standard service, alongside Divert And Contraction. (The partnership also follows Apple’s biggest film success to date, the Brad Pitt vehicle F1 The Movie. Synergy!)

And as with most streamers, this expanded library of content has also included price increases; in August, Apple TV subscription increased by $3 per month, significant demand for a service with limited range compared to its contemporaries. At the same time, there are some questions about what types of programming Apple is willing to offer, which generally avoids controversy. Jon Stewart had disagreements over what topics he could cover on his show, which is believed to be the reason it ended in 2023, and over the series being delayed. The scholar – a thriller about domestic terrorism – still doesn’t have a premiere date, although it was originally slated for September. Apple still lists it as “coming soon.”

On their own, none of these moves are particularly significant. But taken together, they indicate a shift in how Apple TV is positioned, a clear attempt to broaden the service’s existing base and reach new, broader audiences.

But don’t expect Apple to stop chasing awards and fancy names. Tim Cook really seems to enjoy posing while holding an Emmy, and who could blame him; few tech CEOs have this opportunity. Apple tends to market itself as a provider of quality products and experiences, and it’s famous names and awards that carry that message into the entertainment world.

Instead, changes for Apple TV will almost certainly continue to be incremental. Another sports offering here, a new series with mainstream appeal there. Damn, despite a very clear ending in its third season, Ted Lasso comes back for more, because Apple does not want to abandon its most attractive series. The streamer isn’t straying from what has worked so far, but it East seeks to reinforce this.

The real question is what Apple TV will look like in a year or two. Right now, it’s far from the biggest streamer, but it’s a streamer with a distinct, curated output. Netflix is ​​the most established player in the space in terms of pure subscriber numbers and has done a reasonably good job of attracting all possible audiences, expanding from things like Stranger Things to boxing matches and live talent shows. But for almost everyone, this strategy has proven difficult. Just look at what happened when HBO tried to go Max.

Apple will need to balance this desire to reach a wider audience with its core strength in premium programming. That’s why the company is taking smaller steps toward new audiences, rather than shaking things up completely. Apple TV may have lost what makes it special, but its future depends on not losing what makes it special.