It’s no secret that Apple TV+ has struggled to get subscribers onboard. For a company the size of Apple, with its iPhones and iPads, it’s not created a huge subscriber base in the same way that Prime Video, for instance, has through its Amazon Prime service.
JustWatch’s UK streaming report has showed what the landscape in the British streaming market currently looks like, and Apple TV+ is fourth behind Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video. In fact, according to JustWatch it’s been building momentum recently, hitting 9% market share, its highest in the UK to date.
Which makes the new name change… bizarre.
According to Apple, the switch from Apple TV+ to Apple TV is meant to signify a “vibrant new identity”.
What?!
Marketing speak that makes no sense
I don’t think changing from ‘Apple TV+’ to ‘Apple TV’ is the sign of a ‘vibrant new identity’ – the excision of the ‘plus’ is not a significant change. It’s completely pointless.
If anything there’s the potential for confusion
The platform/app itself is called Apple TV, and then you have the streamer, which is called Apple TV 4K. At least the ‘plus’ suggested something different, something on top of the existing platform, but now it all meshes into one thing, so who knows exactly what you’re talking about when you’re referring to Apple TV. The streaming service? The app? The streamer?
It felt as if Apple TV+ had, or was in the process of creating its own identity. It’s been out for six years – if people aren’t aware of Apple TV+, that’s nothing to do with awareness of the name itself, it’s probably because people aren’t convinced about Apple TV+.
And I don’t get why they wouldn’t be convinced by its credentials. It’s a very good streaming service with high quality original content, AV specs and, until recently, available at a price that was more affordable price than other streaming services.
I’ve written often about Apple TV+’s good qualities – it has its fans and I’m one of them – but I think Apple’s constant push to offer Apple TV+ for free for three or six months has also devalued the service in some eyes. People will just wait and see if they can get a code, rather than actually buy into the service itself.
I think Apple was going for clarity with this change. It’s achieved the opposite instead.
