Roku users can watch 'Severance' season 1 for free

Severance, like many of Apple TV’s offerings, is an excellent show that in particular should appeal to anyone who has worked as a serf in the barony of corporate America.

bobolicious said:

Beyond the uplifting Ted Lasso, some nature docs and rockumentaries I am asking if the balance on AppleTV+ is about conflict...?  I understand Apple was wondering why uptake is not greater ?

First: your summary of what's on Apple TV+ is just wrong. You should familiarize yourself with their actual roster of shows and movies. Second: you seem to be suggesting/asking if too much "conflict" is the reason more people aren't watching Apple TV+. That's actually pretty funny. Let me answer it this way: one of Netflix's biggest hit shows ever is Squid Game, a series in which billionaires run a game where hundreds of working class and down-on-their-luck "players" get violently killed and/or murder each other in pursuit of winning a giant pot of money. How's that for "uplifting?" Conflict, even very violent and gruesome, has never been a barrier to hit shows. Hello, Game of Thrones. 

The biggest difference between Apple TV+ and its main competitors is that Apple offers FAR fewer shows, even though I'd say the quality of its shows is consistently higher. In terms of quality, I'd rank Apple and HBO in the same league. The service that's actually closest to Apple is Amazon Prime Video, and I say that because neither Apple nor Amazon are primarily in the television business--a streaming platform is ancillary to their core businesses. But the similarities end there--Amazon offers a far greater number of shows and movies than Apple AND--this is critical--it gives Amazon Prime Video away for free to its 200+ million Amazon Prime members. No surprise then that Amazon Prime Video has a lot more people watching. 

Clearly, Apple thinks it needs its own streaming platform, although I'd be very curious to hear what Tim's reasons are for having one. Not suggesting there aren't reasons, but would love to hear them from him. Thus far, Apple's strategy has been to favor more expensive and consistently higher quality shows over volume of shows. I get it, and it certainly makes sense in burnishing the Apple brand. But it doesn't seem to be working in terms of delivering enough paying subscribers--or getting people to subscribe to Apple One, where some plans include Apple TV+. What we're starting to see now is a pullback on spending from Apple on shows and movies -- I thought cancelling wide theatrical releases of its biggest movies was a really big deal from a PR perspective. So did the director of the recent Clooney/Pitt movie, Wolfs, who backed out of doing the sequel and returned his advance money for it to Apple because he "no longer trusted Apple as a creative partner." Yikes. In one way or another, I think 2025 will be a turning point for Apple TV+.

My guess is Apple is pivoting away from scripted shows and moving more toward sports since the latter have more broad appeal worldwide. Something like "Severance" is going to appeal primarily to a limited demographic that has a connection to the Western corporate world. I lived that experience and I don't have any interest in reliving it. Been there, done that.

The entire film industry is at a crossroads driven by streaming and post-pandemic consumer behavior. The recent SAG/AFTRA strike didn't help spurn the industry either.

Apple's Services revenue continues to grow and while they don't split out the individual components, most likely Apple TV+ is growing. As American college athletics moves to a new model in the coming years and the emergence of newer sports and leagues worldwide (3on3 basketball, pro soccer in the Middle East, women's pro leagues, maybe flag football, skateboarding as a televised sport), that's where the clear growth is.

Hell, Apple can't make the same shows it made four years ago. The world's entertainment tastes are changing at a far faster rate than in previous decades. On-the-go content consumption is the biggest driver. Once again, it's important to acknowledge that the smartphone is the main driver in consumer electronics innovation today because it is the primary computing modality for Joe Consumer in 2025.

One thing for sure, the entertainment continues to evolve and if Apple (or any other player) wants to remain relevant and solvent, they need to adapt to the tastes of contemporary viewers (which translates to ages 13-29). The days of people just planting themselves in front of the TV to watch "Friends", "Seinfeld" or "LA Law" are long gone.