Could ‘Ted Lasso’ prompt Apple TV to reveal subscriber total?
Could ‘Ted Lasso’ prompt Apple TV to reveal subscriber total?
The return of the show that helped truly launch Apple TV may be so successful that Apple feels like revealing its streamer’s subscriber count for the first time.
Apple TV doesn’t beat out its fellow streaming services in terms of catalog size, but one thing it can claim to be the best at is secrecy. Although many major streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix have made the choice to no longer share their subscriber numbers with the public, Apple TV has always been ahead of the curve on that score. The streamer has never once made an official announcement of how many subscribers it has.
Estimates have abounded for years that Apple TV lies within the range of 40 to 50 million customers, but Apple has never confirmed or denied anything. I think, however, that could change this year, specifically because of the return of the beloved Apple TV original comedy series “Ted Lasso.”
“Ted Lasso” was the show that helped launch Apple TV when it first became available. Premiering less than a year after the original debut of the Apple streaming service (then named Apple TV+), “Ted Lasso” became must-see TV for audiences everywhere — especially when the COVID-19 pandemic left audiences desperate for the feel-good vibes that the show was so famous for.
“Ted Lasso” will return for a fourth season in summer 2026, re-entering the zeitgeist at a time when viewers will once again need to feel good. It feels highly likely that the new episodes will bring huge crowds to Apple TV, and could be a record-setting subscription event for the streaming service.
If that happens, Apple TV might very well decide to make an official announcement of its subscriber total at long last. Other streamers have used subscription milestones as a reason to brag publicly; for example, YouTube TV ended its pattern of secrecy in February 2024 when it announced it had 8 million subscribers, and recently passed the 10 million mark. Prime Video likewise lifted its usual veil of secrecy to boast that it had 200 million subscribers in 2024.
Apple itself gave a tease of the Apple TV subscriber total in 2024, when it announced it had over 1 billion subscribers on its various subscription services. But of course, that number doesn’t break down how many customers are on each individual service, and it encompasses popular subscriptions like Apple Music and others. Clearly, there’s no way to get a sense of the success or failure of Apple TV from such an announcement.
I think this is the year that the streamer takes the next step and actually reveals how many subscribers it has. The return of “Ted Lasso” will cause viewers to flock to Apple TV again, and the influx of new customers could push the streamer past a threshold so impressive that Apple will want to do a little bragging about it.
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.