Apple's streaming service gave itself away for years before winning Best Picture
When Apple TV+ launched on 1 November 2019 at $4.99 a month, Apple handed a free year to anyone buying a new iPhone, iPad or Mac, then stretched that giveaway twice more to July 2021. The slow start paid off: its film CODA became the first Best Picture winner distributed by a streaming service.
Apple had flirted with television for years. In 2015 it tried to assemble a live TV bundle from existing studios, but talks collapsed over how to value the programmes, a lack of transparency and the style of its lead negotiator, Eddy Cue. It switched to making its own shows, and in June 2017 hired Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, co-presidents of Sony Pictures Television, to run worldwide video programming.
The service was unveiled at a March 2019 event where Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg appeared on stage, alongside a new children's series from the makers of Sesame Street. It opened with eight original series and one documentary in about 100 countries, short of a reported target of 150, and one subscription could be shared by up to six family members.
Early reviews ranged from mixed to poor, and subscriber growth lagged rivals through 2020. Between September 2021 and March 2022, though, the comedy Ted Lasso took the top Emmy for comedy series and CODA won the Academy Award. Prices rose in October 2022 to $6.99 a month or $69 a year, and an Android app finally arrived in 2025.
In October 2025, timed to the release of the film F1, Apple dropped the plus sign and renamed the service simply Apple TV, the same name as its set-top box and app. Cue argued people already called it that. The rebrand brought a rainbow logo made with real glass and a reworked version of the familiar piano sting by Finneas. The service now counts over 45 million paid memberships.
Source: Apple TV (streaming service)
