Apple TV+ On Track for 3 Record-Breaking Months in a Row — Has It Turned the Corner?
Apple TV+ has a strategy, and it has stuck with that strategy. The service that has built a reputation for offering quality, original TV shows and movies has resisted calls from outsiders to add more library content to its platform, preferring to continue going its own way. That strategy might finally be paying off, according to new data from Nielsen, as reported by Deadline.
Nielsen’s data shows that Apple TV+ saw record viewership numbers in March, and that record was broken in April. The streamer is on track to break its own record again in May, and weekly viewership overall has jumped 147% year-over-year. That must come as a relief for Apple. As The Streamable reported, the churn rate for Apple TV+ spiked dramatically after its price hike in October. It’s remained stubbornly above the industry average ever since.
New content is driving increased viewership. Nielsen’s numbers indicate that the Season 3 premiere of “Ted Lasso” saw a 180% jump in ratings over the Season 2 debut, and new shows like the dystopian sci-fi thriller “Silo” and the haunting mystery series “The Last Thing He Told Me” are helping to keep viewers engaged as “Lasso” winds down its third season.
“Silo” was the No. 1 drama in the history of Apple TV+ when it debuted on May 5, and since then its viewership has grown by double digits. The service hasn’t quite breached the 1% threshold of total TV viewing in any month, but that coveted benchmark could be reached if Apple TV+ keeps stacking new hits on top of one another. The service is gearing up to release “High Desert” starring Patricia Arquette, and will release the long-anticipated movie “Killers of the Flower Moon,” featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, in October.
“The Last Thing He Told Me” starring Jennifer Garner has also been punching above its weight for the service, becoming the top limited series on Apple TV+ in history, according to Nielsen’s numbers. Considering the service also hosts an MLB doubleheader every Friday, and that its sibling streamer MLS Season Pass will show every Major League Soccer game played for the rest of the summer, Apple might see its ratings creep even higher in the next few months.
New movies have been helping Apple TV+ build its success, as well. The Ana de Armas and Chris Evans rom-com “Ghosted” became the service's most-watched movie premiere in its history when it debuted in April. With TV, sports and movies all driving record numbers for Apple TV+, it’s tempting to say the service has finally turned a corner. Apple TV+ does not regularly report its subscriber numbers, but it almost certainly sits at fewer than 50 million, which is behind most of its competitors in the streaming industry. But if it keeps adding new, popular content at this rate, those numbers could rise quickly.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is a subscription video streaming service for $9.99 a month that includes high-quality original shows and movies including Best Picture winner “CODA,” popular sitcom “Ted Lasso,” and dramas like “The Morning Show” and “Severance.” Apple TV+ is also home to MLB baseball games on Friday nights and MLS Season Pass.