Despite the fact that Apple spends billions of dollars a year on developing original series, according to a recent report, they attract only 0.2% of TV viewership in the United States.
The most interesting thing about these numbers is that Apple TV+ actually generates fewer views in one month than Netflix does in a day (according to Bloomberg). Netflix itself, which still cannot match the performance of cable TV in the United States, is the undisputed leader among streaming services — has 277.7 million subscribers and reaches more than 600 million people worldwide (streaming profits grew by 44% compared to 2023 and 2019)
Given the latest numbers, Apple is desperate to get rid of its spendthrift status by limiting budgets for future shows: the upcoming seasons of Severance and Foundation have already adapted the script for less expensive episodes (however, the star cast of «The Morning Show» alone will be paid over 50 million in the fourth season).
Despite the fact that Apple’s film creations have won many awards, over the past five years, only four of the company’s 10 most popular original series have appeared on Nielsen’s weekly list of the top 10 most popular original series (at the same time, in 2023, the company released the most popular streaming series at that time — «Ted Lasso»).
It should also be noted that last year, the company spent $500 million in total on films from directors Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, and Matthew Vaughn, which did not do well at the box office (with the exception of «Flower Full Moon Killers», which made it to the top of Nielsen’s list of most popular streaming titles).
Apple representatives reject Nielsen’s figures, claiming that they are inaccurate and incomplete, as the company measures viewing only in the US on certain devices, without covering other important indicators for streaming.
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