Apple TV+ Saw Most Subscriber Growth in First Quarter; Is Streamer’s Renaissance About to Arrive?
Apple does not share subscriber details with the public, but Kantar has identified it as the largest gainer of the first quarter.
Is Apple TV+ about to break through to the level of streaming services like Max and Disney+ in the United States? There are certainly signs that Apple TV+ is about to achieve a renaissance, and the latest is new data from Kantar which shows that Apple TV+ grew more than any other U.S. streamer to start the year. With a potential release in China coming soon, and a philosophy on content that appears to be shifting to a more viewer-friendly strategy, Apple TV+ could be ready to join the ranks of the world’s top streaming platforms sooner rather than later.
Key Details:
- Apple TV+ grew its subscriber base by a larger percentage than any other streamer during Q1.
- The company has recently begun importing a selection of licensed movies to boost engagement.
- A recent report suggests that Apple could be the first American-based streaming service to launch in China.
Kantar’s data shows that Apple TV+ grew its subscriber base more than any other service in terms of percentage growth during the first quarter of the year. That doesn’t necessarily mean it gained the most individual subscribers overall; Netflix likely holds that title for the quarter, as it added 9.3 million subscribers in Q1.
It’s hard to say how many individual users Apple TV+ gained during the quarter. The company infamously refuses to make that data public, and if it shared any specific figures with Kantar it must have been done under the condition of keeping those numbers private. Estimates dating back to 2021 have pegged Apple TV+’s subscriber base at around 40-50 million.
Is Apple TV+ About to See Explosive Growth?
The news that Apple TV+ acquired so many new customers during the first quarter could presage a period of greater expansion for the streamer. Apple has made several moves in the past few months that could finally help it break out and scale at a rate that it has so far struggled to achieve.
Apple originals performed well during the quarter, with the World War II aviation drama “Masters of the Air” breaking records for first-weekend viewership on the streamer. But in March, Apple TV+ imported a selection of licensed movies from various studios, marking the first time it had made an effort to add a large number of non-original titles.
In April, a second wave of licensed movies came to the Apple TV+ library for a limited time. The non-original titles have spent plenty of time in Apple TV+'s top-10 list, showing that viewers are responding to a strategy which is meant to help the streamer boost engagement. Apple is also reportedly considering a shift in the way it pays for new shows and movies, which could lead to it taking more chances on shows it formerly wouldn’t have considered for Apple TV+.
Another recent news item that could factor into a potential Apple TV+ renaissance is a report that the streamer could soon expand into China. Strict government censorship rules have kept all American-based streaming platforms out of China until now, but if Apple can find a way to enter the Chinese market it will have access to billions of customers that no other top streaming service can pursue.
Only time will tell if these various factors add up to a new period of massive growth for Apple TV+. But if the China rollout happens and the addition of more licensed titles do boost engagement for the streamer, Kantar’s 2025 survey could have even better results for Apple TV+ than its 2024 edition did.
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.