Apple follows confusing, annoying trend with streamer name
Apple follows confusing, annoying trend with streamer name
The company has decided to drop the + from its streaming service, calling it just Apple TV.
The Apple TV+ streaming service is the latest in the industry to get a name change. Will it also be the next among its peers to change back to its old moniker? That remains to be seen, but in its press release announcing the release of “F1,” Apple made it official that it was dropping the “+” from its streamer’s name, and going with simply Apple TV going forward.
Key Details:
- Extreme makeover?: The name change is part of a “vibrant new identity” for Apple TV+.
- Which is which?: Apple TV is also the name of Apple’s streaming device, as well as its TV and movie-focused app.
- Why?: Media companies are continuing to name multiple products the same thing, which confuses consumers.
The name change announcement was thrown in almost as an afterthought to the press release stating that “F1” was arriving on the streaming service to watch on demand on Dec. 12, just in time for the holidays. The company says the name swap will give the streamer a “vibrant new identity.”
Despite that pledge, there were no further details on whether any other changes were coming to the Apple TV streaming service. Apple recently launched its tvOS 26 update, which included the next evolution of the user interface on the Apple TV app, among other changes.
Apple is following a trend that other companies have attempted in recent history: renaming their products after other items they already sell. Apple also sells the Apple TV streaming device — full name Apple TV 4K — and houses all its TV and movie content within the Apple TV app. The company also refers to the device’s home streaming hub as Apple TV as well, adding to the layers of potential confusion.
However, if Apple decides to somehow merge all of these products into a more unified and streamlined product, perhaps the new nomenclature will be easier to understand and discuss. If not, will this get so confusing for customers that a reverse name change will be needed? That remains to be seen, although a similar kind of confusion no doubt played a part in the decision to change the name of the Paramount+ ad-free tier back to Paramount+ Premium. Previously, that product had been named Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, which is also confoundingly the name given to the premium cable channel formerly called just “Showtime.”
HBO also had to do an about-face on its streamer’s name this year, switching back from Max to HBO Max over the summer. WBD never decided to give the same name to multiple different products as Apple has chosen to do, but its streaming name swap was an ultimate failure just as Paramount+’s was.
Will Apple TV have to change its name back to Apple TV+ eventually, or will it be able to keep its shortened moniker? What do you think about the decision to pull the plus from the streamer? Let us know in the comments below.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.