Apple never shares exact viewer numbers, but "Masters of the Air" has surpassed the previous unknown record for the most-watched series launch on Apple TV+.
'Masters of the Air' on Apple TV+
"Masters of the Air" debuted on Apple TV+ on January 26. It is a historical drama produced by the same team behind "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific," which may have helped spur the new series' popularity.
According to a report from Variety, the Steven Spielberg drama "Masters of the Air" has become the most-watched series launch ever on Apple TV+. Of course, Apple doesn't provide any specific metrics, like when it doubled an unknown number of viewing hours in 2023 or saw "Ted Lasso" season 2 break an unknown record for season premiere views.
The key language for this record is "more viewers in its opening weekend than any Apple TV+ series ever has in its first season." There have been several anticipated first-season launches on Apple TV+, but no news on which one set the original record.
When secrecy is a priority, it can lead to somewhat ambiguous metrics being shared by a company, and Apple isn't the only offender. It's especially difficult to decipher such news from one of the smaller streaming services where such a metric can be incredibly small for the rest of the industry.
A few more metrics were shared around the "Masters of the Air" launch. Viewership across all Apple TV+ increased by 65% worldwide compared to the previous seven-day period, plus Apple TV+ saw double-digit growth across more than 100 countries.
The spike in viewership and growth metrics likely can be traced back to a multitude of people signing up for the service with a free trial to watch the new show. After the available episodes are watched, five as of Monday, the new trial users would spread out to other content to take advantage of the free period.
What's more important, and likely won't be shared, is how many of these "Masters of the Air" viewers will be converted into recurring paying subscribers. The final episode of the season will be released on March 15, just days before a one-month free trial, or one-month paid subscription, ends.