Apple Breaks Into Most-Watched Shows of 2025

[MacRumors]

Apple has secured a top-five spot in the most-watched streaming series with its original programming for the first time, Bloomberg reports.

According to data from Nielsen, Apple TV+ claimed one of the five most-viewed original streaming titles in the United States during the first half of 2025. While Netflix maintained three of the top four positions and Amazon's Reacher performed strongly in second place, Apple emerged alongside those longstanding competitors for the first time with the second season of Severance.

Nielsen's rankings are based on total minutes viewed and represent U.S. audiences only, combining viewership across connected TVs and select devices. The most-watched shows in the United States in the first half of 2025 are as follows:

• Squid Game (Netflix), 15,074 million minutes
• Reacher (Prime Video), 13,313 million minutes
• The Night Agent (Netflix), 12,219 million minutes
• Ginny & Georgia (Netflix), 10,201 million minutes
• Severance (Apple TV+), 9,275 million minutes
• 1923 (Paramount+), 8,536 million minutes
• The Pitt (Max), 8,227 million minutes
• The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu), 8,165 million minutes
• You (Netflix), 8,097 million minutes
• Landman (Paramount+), 7,826 million minutes

Apple's rise in the rankings coincides with a broader trend; Netflix's share of the most-watched streaming titles declined from more than 80% in 2021 to just under 50% in the first half of 2025. The figures reflect increasing competition from rivals such as Amazon, HBO, Hulu, Paramount+, and Apple TV+, all of which have placed shows in the top 10 so far this year. Disney+, by contrast, has not had a single original series appear in Nielsen's top 10 to date.

While Netflix remains the most consistent producer of hits overall, with a larger number of top-performing series than any other service, its share of total streaming viewership has plateaued. Nielsen reported that total streaming consumption in the U.S. grew by 6% year-over-year in the first half of 2025, but Netflix's share of that growth remained flat. Free ad-supported platforms, such as YouTube, Tubi, and the Roku Channel, are increasingly capturing viewers from traditional TV and paid subscription services alike.

Apple does not disclose subscriber figures for Apple TV+, but Ampere Analysis estimated in May that the service has surpassed 60 million paying users globally, with the strongest growth occurring in North America and Western Europe over the past 12 months. Apple has renewed Severance for a third season.


Article Link: Apple Breaks Into Most-Watched Shows of 2025

 

[wikiverse]

The problem with AppleTV+ subscriptions is that Apple gives away 3 months for free with new devices in many countries, and routinely gives away free 30 day subscriptions through other promotions, so it's impossible to estimate 'paying' users.

The other problem is that there really isn't enough quality television to justify the ongoing cost. Better to subscribe for one month a year and just binge everything you want to see. Although, that problem isn't really limited to Apple.

 

[iSayuSay]

With Apple's approach of original content exclusives, TV+ frankly isn't going anywhere. It'd keep being the number 3, TV shows keep being made and cost of keep making them is getting more expensive.

Plus I haven't found a single TV+ show that gives me satisfying closure. Yeah they all start with something interesting, intriguing but most just ending abruptly, a typical open-ending with potential of new season. Come on, be different, give us something satisfying from start to finish.

 

[MrMacintoshIII]

Severance deserves it. Fantastic show, amazing story.

 

[svish]

Not surprised to see Severance on the list. Fantastic show. Some of the shows on TV+ are great. However wish there are no huge gaps between seasons.

 

[Bodhitree]

I don’t believe in TV anymore… I rarely watch more than half an hour of anything, and tend to spend my time meditating and writing.

 

[macvicta]

So this is why Netflix keeps hiking my subscription: paying to produce all of these shows I don’t watch. I’m half-expecting they will respond to this news by announcing another price increase.

 

[I7guy]

Apple TV+ has come a long way with very good content. Of course severance was a run away hit. Currently watching Stick and it has that vibe of going onto be a very good show.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Yet still losing a Billion dollars per year.

What's the point of doing this, just the vanity of it?
Product placement worth it also perhaps?

I realize many folks on here love ATV+ content -- I'm wondering specifically about the business case for pursuing this, as Tim Cook is generally pretty focused on that aspect of things.

I'm always told that we can't have any more iPhone Minis because not enough people bought them ... yet I never recall hearing they were actually losing money offering them (certainly not a billion per year at least no matter what).

 

[Camerondonal]

First season of Severance > great. Second season, meh: too much water-treading and self-conscious weirdness, not enough story

 

[Kingcoherent]

Yet still losing a Billion dollars per year.

What's the point of doing this, just the vanity of it?
Product placement worth it also perhaps?

I realize many folks on here love ATV+ content -- I'm wondering specifically about the business case for pursuing this, as Tim Cook is generally pretty focused on that aspect of things.

I'm always told that we can't have any more iPhone Minis because not enough people bought them ... yet I never recall hearing they were actually losing money offering them (certainly not a billion per year at least no matter what).

It's a long game, it will take a while to build up a back catalog. And the biggest danger is that it's unpredictable what actually lasts.

I've enjoyed Foundation and will reactivate my subscription to was season three. I caught some of Severance when there was a free week earlier this year and will watch all of it when I restart my subscription.

But that's part of the problem. Viewing habits have changed, it's now such an utter pain to keep up with all the various services (most of them making their offerings worth with ad supported tiers). I will even cancel Disney (the only reason I kept it going is because I got a discount getting a year at a time and kept forgetting to cancel it).

I'm UK based. I also have bought some shows on iTunes. Between iPlayer (BBC's "free" service, you need to pay your license fee still) and my back catalog, I have too much TV/film to watch. If there's something I'm desperate to watch I pay for a month and then cancel once I've binged the series. Andor was great, but now I won't need Disney because there's nothing new of interest to me. Apple has the same problem, once you watch a series you can cancel.

Modern TV favours big budget, short seasons. I rewatched some X Files recently and was amazed that, like Star Trek, it has _really long_ seasons. Clever film making dropped the budget, rather than huge SFX and stunt budgets it's hidden and implied terrors. This means that the back catalog is huge. At Apple's rate, it will take a lot more time, and a lot more money, to get the same scale of back catalog that the big studios have.

 

[lkrupp]

With Apple's approach of original content exclusives, TV+ frankly isn't going anywhere. It'd keep being the number 3, TV shows keep being made and cost of keep making them is getting more expensive.

Plus I haven't found a single TV+ show that gives me satisfying closure. Yeah they all start with something interesting, intriguing but most just ending abruptly, a typical open-ending with potential of new season. Come on, be different, give us something satisfying from start to finish.

And yours is the only opinion that counts?

 

[lkrupp]

I don’t believe in TV anymore… I rarely watch more than half an hour of anything, and tend to spend my time meditating and writing.

Then why even bother to post in this thread?

 

[Bodhitree]

Then why even bother to post in this thread?

Just to show that there are other ways of living. TV shows are incredibly unrealistic, often violent, and stuff your mind with society’s memes which don’t have your best interests at heart. To say nothing about advertising. I choose not to participate. Rest, solitude, the occasional jazz album and watching the clouds overhead is my preferred recipe for cleaning out the mind.

 

[alfonsog]

Severance is the only show on this list that I’ve watched. I’m halfway through season 2 (I don’t binge watch). I also watch Foundation although I haven’t started season 3 yet. I subscribe to Apple One Premier so tv+ is included.

 

[iSayuSay]

And yours is the only opinion that counts?

Oh, and yours is? 😁🤷🏼‍♂️

 

[ducknalddon]

I don’t believe in TV anymore… I rarely watch more than half an hour of anything, and tend to spend my time meditating and writing.

and posting on MacRumors.com.

 

[Roller]

Just to show that there are other ways of living. TV shows are incredibly unrealistic, often violent, and stuff your mind with society’s memes which don’t have your best interests at heart. To say nothing about advertising. I choose not to participate. Rest, solitude, the occasional jazz album and watching the clouds overhead is my preferred recipe for cleaning out the mind.

If you’re going to condemn TV shows (and movies) for violence and lack of realism, you can say the same about literature, including works that have been widely praised and enjoyed.

 

[SDJim]

Yet still losing a Billion dollars per year.

What's the point of doing this, just the vanity of it?
Product placement worth it also perhaps?

I realize many folks on here love ATV+ content -- I'm wondering specifically about the business case for pursuing this, as Tim Cook is generally pretty focused on that aspect of things.

I'm always told that we can't have any more iPhone Minis because not enough people bought them ... yet I never recall hearing they were actually losing money offering them (certainly not a billion per year at least no matter what).

They sold millions and millions of them and made a profit on every one. Really a shame that they abandoned that love group just to come out with the "Air" a few years later that nobody asked for.

 

[Bodhitree]

If you’re going to condemn TV shows (and movies) for violence and lack of realism, you can say the same about literature, including works that have been widely praised and enjoyed.

It’s not condemnation exactly. It’s just that I started reading Buddhism and spiritual books about ten years ago, and since then entertainment and news habits have largely fallen away. The desire for them has just disappeared. I still occasionally watch a movie on my iMac, but it’s a rare day that I watch any tv.

I don’t read fiction anymore either.