Apple Drops “plus” From Apple TV, SVP Reveals Reasoning & Hints at Subscriber Growth
CUPERTINO, CA - Apple has officially rebranded its streaming service as simply “Apple TV,” shedding the “Plus” designation it carried as launch. The move, revealed by Apple Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue in a recent interview on The Town podcast, stems from a consistent naming convention across Apple’s subscription offerings, though the logic isn’t entirely consistent across the company’s portfolio. The change comes as Apple continues to invest heavily in original content and navigate a competitive streaming landscape.
The decision to remove ”Plus” was driven by Apple’s practice of using the designation for paid tiers of services that also have free options, like iCloud+ and Apple News+. “We put the plus in there because we’ve used it in our other services…but we do that when we have a free service and then there’s a paid version,” Cue explained. However, the company acknowledges the inconsistency, as services like Apple Fitness+ and Apple Music, both paid-only, do not include the “Plus” moniker. Despite this, Cue stated, “We stayed consistent because of it…and we said, given where we are today, it’s a great time to do it, so let’s just do it.”
the rebranding also addresses potential confusion between the streaming service and Apple’s physical streaming device. “Our hardware is called Apple TV 4K for your TV,” Cue clarified. “I think that’s fine, and the app is called Apple TV. It’s been called Apple TV on our third-party products as well, so I don’t think that’ll be a problem at all.”
Launched in November 2019 with original series including The Morning Show, For All Mankind, See, Servant, and Dickinson, Apple TV has faced challenges in establishing itself as a major player in the streaming wars. Cue acknowledged the difficulties, stating, “The service is doing fine…It’s a lot harder than it looks.” He also pointed to the impact of the 2023 Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strike, which halted production for approximately a year and a half. “I didn’t predict a nine-month strike from that standpoint. So we were a little further behind than where I’d like to be, but where we are today is great. Our content has never been better.”
Regarding subscriber numbers, cue remained tight-lipped but hinted at stronger-than-reported growth. When questioned about reports estimating 40 to 45 million subscribers, Cue responded, ”We haven’t said what our numbers are, but we’re significantly more than that…We’re happy with where we’re growing, but we’re trying to be triumphant.” Apple has not publicly disclosed its official subscriber count for Apple TV.
