Licensed Titles See Good Engagement on Apple TV+, But Will the Streamer Keep Importing Non-Originals?
New data from Ampere Analysis shows the Apple TV+ library grew by 25% between February and March thanks to the addition of licensed movies.
The strategy for Apple TV+ has always been clear, even if outside observers didn’t necessarily agree with it. The streamer would showcase only Apple originals, a testament to the high production values and A-level stars the company is able to bring to its shows thanks to revenue generated by its device retailing segment. But that all changed in early March when the streamer imported more than 50 movies created by various other Hollywood studios for a short window. New data from Ampere Analysis suggests that perhaps Apple may not want to be so hasty in letting its next batch of licensed titles go if it decides to repeat the experiment again.
- Apple has licensed more than 75 movies since the start of March.
- According to Ampere, the titles licensed by Apple are both high quality and popular among viewers.
- Apple TV+’s own top 10 list shows the movies are performing well against its original titles.
Apple TV+’s first wave of licensed movies arrived on the streamer in early March, followed by a second round of new arrivals at the start of April. Titles came from various studios like Lionsgate, Sony, and Warner Bros. Discovery, instead of all being from a single source. Movies ranging from the World War II classic “Saving Private Ryan” to raunchy comedies like “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” were included in the two licensing deals.
Ampere’s data shows that the deals helped grow the Apple TV+ library in the United States substantially. Between February and March, the streamer’s catalog grew by 25% the biggest absolute month-to-month growth for Apple TV+ since it launched in 2019. In addition, the percentage of original titles and exclusives on the platform fell from 93% to 75%.
Best yet for Apple TV+, these movies have been popular with customers. As of the time of this writing, Apple TV+’s own top 10 list shows “Clueless,” “The Nice Guys” and “The Godfather” in its third, fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
The films added to Apple TV+ through these licensing deals have been popular with viewers and critics alike. In the month prior to its arrival on Apple TV+, for example, “Mean Girls” was the 20th most popular movie available on subscription video platforms in the United States according to Ampere’s proprietary popularity score, and “Titanic” was 64th. Eleven more of the licensed titles sent to Apple TV+ ranked within the 500 most popular movies in the United States.
According to Ampere’s own method for measuring critical approval, 41 of the licensed titles sent to Apple TV+ achieved a score of 70 out of 100 or better. In short, Apple TV+ continued its quality-over-quantity approach with licensed movies, instead of bringing in less well-regarded films simply in the name of providing its subscribers with more choices.
Will Apple Continue Licensing Movies in the Future?
Apple is clearly willing to expand its thinking when it comes to offering movies. For example, in 2023 the company decided to forgo simply releasing all of its movies directly to Apple TV+, and instead committed to spending $1 billion per year on movies that would premiere in theaters before heading to streaming.
The company has imported licensed titles before March of this year, but that round of licensing marked the first time Apple TV+ has brought on movies not intended to help it directly promote one of its own originals. Making a second licensing deal one month later has only increased speculation that perhaps this will be Apple’s strategy for the foreseeable future; bringing on outside content for a limited time to keep users engaged between the release of originals, then swapping out those licensed titles for new ones to keep the selection fresh.
Apple TV+ has the highest quality library of any streaming service, a reputation it has worked hard to maintain. Adding quality licensed movies has helped the streamer maintain that reputation, and boost engagement at the same time. Therefore, it seems logical that Apple will continue to make licensing deals for non-original movies in the future, though whether that logic leads to follow-through on Apple’s part remains to be seen.
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.