Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I completely agree. Everything I've watched on Apple TV+ feels like it was filmed for ABC Family.... boring! Where's the exciting content? Where's the stuff that's rated R or Mature. Even something like For All Mankind should have been exciting and it's a total snooze fest. As it stands right now, I would never pay for this service or have it outside of a trial or bundle. I hope the Apple execs will stop steering the shows so much and let the experienced pros take the wheel.
I don’t think Apple is going to be a direct content producer of gritty dark stuff. Or not immediatly, and if so more Pg-13 to R and not NC-17.
 


Netflix co-founder and former CEO Marc Randolph recently spoke to Yahoo Finance, where he commented on Disney+ and Apple TV+, two Netflix competitors in the streaming market.

Netflix-16x9.jpg

Randolph criticized Apple's free Apple TV+ offerings and the number of subscribers that are still not paying. Apple has been offering free year-long Apple TV+ subscriptions to those who purchase a new Apple device, and has already twice extended the free subscriptions of those who initially signed up in 2019.

"If Apple spent one quarter as much time on content as they do on giveaways they really could play," Randolph said. "They have no excuse [and] they're still not in it with both feet. They really have to do the entrepreneurial thing and walk up to the edge of the cliff and jump."

He went on to explain that Apple TV+ has the "highest churn rate" out of all the available streaming services. "You can't keep replacing people," he said. "You've got to give them a reason to stay."

On Disney+, Randolph said that the streaming service has "fought its way up to a really strong position" with its continuous slate of new content. "It's really a war of who's prepared to make the content," he said. Disney+ just today announced that it has hit 95 million subscribers and could hit Netflix-like numbers in just a few years. Netflix currently has more than 200 million subscribers.

Netflix last month said that it plans to release a new original film every week in 2021, and of the streaming services, it has one of the largest content catalogs available. Disney+ was also able to launch with a huge amount of content, and Disney has regularly been introducing new Star Wars and Marvel shows, among other titles.

Apple built Apple TV+ from the ground up and has been adding new content regularly, but the streaming service lags far behind its competitors. Apple has never announced subscriber numbers, but said at the beginning of February that it had seen record viewership with the launch of Justin Timberlake movie "Palmer."

Article Link: Former Netflix CEO: Apple Not in Streaming Market 'With Both Feet'
LOL ... be careful what you wish for ....
 
I think Apple will perpetually extend everybody’s trial until they hit their critical mass number of shows. I’m sure Apple knows how many, which shows, and for how long their users are consuming content on Apple TV+. And I’m sure that number is still fairly low that Apple kept extending the trials while the content is being made bit by bit.

I have spent zero seconds on AppleTV+. It doesn’t help either that they don’t make an app for AndroidTV. If you want to be a streaming content provider, you push your stuff to all hardware platforms.
Two words... Ted Lasso
 
Netflix done a terrible job for subtitles and Apple TV+ original content done a far better job... hate that there are no true competitor to Netflix
 
  • Like
Reactions: KeithBN
I don’t argue Apple has a long way to go to compete with others for amount of content, but I am shocked by the comments regarding the quality of the shows being worse than Netflix...

what shows are you all watching on Netflix that aren’t cookie-cutter plotlines with mediocre acting? Sure I watch some Netflix shows and they are OK, but compared to the quality of *most of the Apple options, there is no comparison in my mind.

Apple does have the occasional SJW plot that borders on propaganda, but I wouldn’t even say that’s a majority of the Apple content, much less all of it.

I for one have liked almost everything I’ve seen - even genres I wouldn’t normally watch.
 
This guy is hating on Apple for what reason? How does this affect him? Furthermore while he's criticizing AppleTV+ and praising Disney+ I dropped my Disney+ subscription two days before the end of the free trial. There was nothing I wanted to watch.
Lastly Netflix SUCKED when it was new. Hardly any original content and much of it's stuff were from movies that made it to DVD and 2 years after that it would end up on Netflix and not even in the original movie format.
 
I got free access to Apple TV+ in November when I got my m1 mini.
I only logged into it two weeks ago
It is dog ****.

I watched greyhound. Meh. I also know apple bought this after it was made as it was meant to be a cinema release.

I watched the servant season 1. Absolute garbage. Nothing happens at all.

I am now watching morning wars. It’s alright. I thought it was meant to be a comedy about competing morning shows with Michael Scott but I was dead wrong.

At this rate I will never pay for Apple TV+ and will never recommend it to anyone.
 
Two words... Ted Lasso
I think Apple is thinking of the ecosystem. Own an iphone, Apple TV, iPad, etc. get acces to the garden. Apple Tv+ might not be the best now or ever, but it will have enough in conjuction with all the other offerings to keep most people somewhat satisified. And then people will also have non-Apple subscriptions ( Prime, Netflix, Disney+ etc.). I believe we will think of owning an Apple product in terms of the let’s say ipad + AppleOne (package of services). Eventually the whole purchase of a device could become the device bundled with the suite of services and leased on a subscription.
 
Do you have data that shows Apple TV+ churn rate isn't high?
He probably doesn't. We do, however, know of at least one group of people that know the exact churn rate for Apple TV+. That's to say the Apple Executives and high level managers. They know for sure.

Random posters on Macrumors do not know.

Neither does the CEO of Netflix ... at least for sure. He may, however, have paid analytics firms that do studies to try to determine the churn rate of Apple TV+ subscribers. The accuracy of such studies may or may not be all that high.
 
I don’t argue Apple has a long way to go to compete with others for amount of content, but I am shocked by the comments regarding the quality of the shows being worse than Netflix...

what shows are you all watching on Netflix that aren’t cookie-cutter plotlines with mediocre acting? Sure I watch some Netflix shows and they are OK, but compared to the quality of *most of the Apple options, there is no comparison in my mind.

Apple does have the occasional SJW plot that borders on propaganda, but I wouldn’t even say that’s a majority of the Apple content, much less all of it.

I for one have liked almost everything I’ve seen - even genres I wouldn’t normally watch.
Netflix does have original documentaries as well. And in Asia, Netflix is adapting to the local taste much better than Apple. Well, Apple is not even trying, only caring doing US-centric virtue signaling shows
 
Netflix does have original documentaries as well. And in Asia, Netflix is adapting to the local taste much better than Apple. Well, Apple is not even trying, only caring doing US-centric virtue signaling shows
So you're saying that when Netflix first came out that they had all this going on that you mentioned? I think not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KeithBN
Neither has Disney+, but they have almost 1/2 as many subscribers as Netflix. I have never watched any AppleTV+, but I also have never seen anything advertised or heard of anything that interests me for even $5/month. Netflix, Prime, HBO Max, and Disney+ have just about all of the bases covered. HBO Max is on the chopping block as I have watched what I want to for now.
Content is king. Disney has an enormous catalog of titles at their disposal. They also have many franchises that they can generate weekly content for. There's no shame in being behind Disney+.

Apple tv+ doesn't have a whole lot content, however, the content they do have is very good (IMO).

The Netflix CEO is right, though. Apple isn't jumping in with both feet. Probably by design. If Apple wanted to really jump in, they would bid for live streaming rights for the NFL, EPL, Formula1, whatever the top world Cricket League, and things like that. Live events that have very short freshness can gain a ton of viewers. Place ads on top to recoup some of investment.

That's how they can jump in with both feet.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ian87w
Too many subscriptions - I hope there's a service that I can have all the channels that I want without having to pay for individual subscriptions - something like cable.
 
I’m pretty sure Apple isn’t in it to become a large content provider. Atv+ is a great way to promote their app as a content hub and get you to subscribe to channels leading to Apple taking some of the monthly fee. I’ve had cbs, showtime and discovery+ All using the Apple TV app growing free money at Apple. Smart way to cater to those who are tired of the fragmentation of streaming services.
 
One, they don’t release new content fast enough. Two, with no catalog of licensed material, people are just waiting around for new stuff and they may get tired of waiting around.

With competing companies starting their own services, they are less and less likely to license their material out. Apple will forever be a smaller player in the streaming wars. May even fold one day and send their content elsewhere.
 
Content is king. Disney has an enormous catalog of titles at their disposal. They also have many franchises that they can generate weekly content for. There's no shame in being behind Disney+.

Apple tv+ doesn't have a whole lot content, however, the content they do have is very good (IMO).

The Netflix CEO is right, though. Apple isn't jumping in with both feet. Probably by design. If Apple wanted to really jump in, they would bid for live streaming rights for the NFL, EPL, Formula1, whatever the top world Cricket League, and things like that. Live events that have very short freshness can gain a ton of views. Place ads on top to recoup some of investment.

That's how they can jump in with both feet.
If Apple wanted to jump in with both feet, they would make the AppleTV app available on Android. See Apple Music.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tonyr6
There is certainly a problem here. Lots of people on trial free subscriptions.

I've got a year of Apple TV+ because I bought new Hardware recently. Even though I'm not even paying for it for twelve months, I haven't bothered with the service whatsoever. They have no content that appeals to me. Also there are far too many 'woke' documentaries. Why don't they just buy up a few blockbuster movies that have already been made? There is something like 5-6 huge movies that are backed up in the pipeline - Bond, Dune, King Kong etc. It would be pocket change to them.
You are literally describing HBO Max. They will have Dune, Godzilla vs Kong Kong, etc and they had Wonder Woman 1984.
 
One, they don’t release new content fast enough. Two, with no catalog of licensed material, people are just waiting around for new stuff and they may get tired of waiting around.

With competing companies starting their own services, they are less and less likely to license their material out. Apple will forever be a smaller player in the streaming wars. May even fold one day and send their content elsewhere.
But Apple probably can afford it. They can just perpetually extend the trial of everybody not signing up yet and keep churning the shows bit by bit. We will see AppleTV+ being getting the numbers that Apple like (probably once there are enough conversion from trial to subscriber) when Apple stops extending the trials.
 
If Apple wanted to jump in with both feet, they would make the AppleTV app available on Android. See Apple Music.
Movie streaming apps are better suited for products like the iPad, Roku, FireStick and of course AppleTV. I doubt people are watching full length 2 hour movies on an Android phone. It makes sense on the iPhone because of Airplay.
 
That’s easy for Netflix to say when they had a 10+ year head start. I seem to recall Netflix’s streaming library being pretty worthless for its first few years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maconplasma
Too many subscriptions - I hope there's a service that I can have all the channels that I want without having to pay for individual subscriptions - something like cable.
True. Currently I have Netflix and Disney+. I probably won’t be interested in a third one unless it can replace one of the two I already have.

This is why the Chinese streaming services in Asia (where we have a ton more competitions) have a different business model. They offer free tier where you can watch the first few episodes free with ads, while paid tiers have access to the whole episodes. The free tier have to wait a while for the later episodes to slowly be made available to them. The main revenue is not from the paid memberships, but from the ads. Freemium model.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JPack and kk200
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.