Apple TV is Apple’s award-winning streaming service subscription. In six years, Apple original films, documentaries, and series have earned 640 wins and 2,872 award nominations. That said, it’s only natural to assume that big shows like “The Morning Show,” “Ted Lasso,” “Foundation,” and many others are responsible for driving Apple TV subscriptions.
However, Bloomberg reveals that sports have been the main driving force behind new subscribers for Apple TV. Getting data from Antenna, the publication shows that Major League Baseball drove more sign-ups for the streaming platform than popular shows like “The Morning Show” and “Your Friends & Neighbors.”
From April to September, Major League Baseball matches were responsible for the most subscriptions. For example, the Dodgers vs. Yankees match in May was responsible for 722K new subscribers, followed by Yankees vs. Phillies in July (698K), and Phillies vs. Mets in June (631K). For example, the return of “The Morning Show” was responsible for over 524K subscribers.
Apple TV might become an even greater success in 2026
With Apple continuing its commitment with Major League Baseball but also making Major League Soccer free, this will definitely make the $12.99/month subscription more enticing. Besides that, Apple might be able to exploit a boom of interest in soccer thanks to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Besides that, Apple recently announced it’s the official Formula 1 partner in the U.S., and will offer some content for free, including selected races and all practices. With that, it’s very likely that sports will continue to drive subscriptions throughout 2026.
With Major League Baseball matches bringing hundreds of thousands of subscriptions through the months analyzed, another great boost was Apple Original’s Stick (over 443K new subscribers), about Owen Wilson as a former famous golf player now guiding a newcomer. BGR will let you know as we learn more about Apple efforts on boosting its sports offering, in addition to other news about the streaming service.
