We’re about to celebrate Apple TV+’s fifth anniversary. And although the one who tried it is a person who speaks well of the platform, from Cupertino they continue with the same “problem” since its creation: a low number of users who cannot be traced the hundreds of millions of dollars invested.
Myself I’m a big fan of Apple TV+ productionsbut I am alone among my family and friends. I have no one to discuss the series with and this reflects what can happen in many other countries. In fact, I’m such a fan of Apple TV+ that I didn’t hesitate to go see their previous releases at the cinema: Napoleon, The Moon Killers, Fly me to the Moon… I admit that my hair stood up when I saw the Apple logo on the big screen. Call me a fanboy, that’s what it is. However, you don’t live on fanboys and, after the experiences, Apple said goodbye to movie premieres, with one exception.
Apple will no longer release movies in the cinema and Wolves
was the first to retire
If you now go to the Apple TV app, you will see that Wolves is at number one. With mixed reviews and reviews ranging from a six out of ten, it seems to be quite popular on the platform. So why did they decide not to release it in theaters?
I myself saw the trailer for Wolves sitting in the cinema seat, and suddenly, it disappeared from the billboards and arrived directly on Apple TV+. That This is a change in strategy that Apple took last August. In fact, he’s not the only one. We already know that they will rethink the approval of new seasons and could even launch a plan with advertisements to attract more people.
A change of direction after years of losses
Apple has reportedly invested more than $20 billion in original productions for Apple TV+ since its launch and the results have not been as expected. Despite high quality productions, it attracts only 0.2% of the general television audience. And the theatrical releases, intended to popularize the platform, achieved exactly the opposite.
Hours played in the last three years
In this context, the launch of its latest premiere Wolveswith George Clooney and Brad Pitt, marks a turning point. The film was released directly on Apple TV+ and, according to Bloomberg, he achieved good results:
- High viewing rate in the first 24 hours
- Apple TV+ subscriptions increase after its premiere
TOP 6 of Apple TV+ as of September 30, 2024
The new Apple TV+ formula
Eddy Cue, Apple’s director of services, along with the bosses of Apple TV+ studios, implement changes focused on getting more subscribers after seeing that the first of Napoleon o The Moon Killers They did not have a direct impact on the platform.
- Better control of expenses: Apple seeks to adapt budgets to the platform’s actual revenues.
- Fewer blockbusters: They are moving away from projects like “The Moon Killers”, which cost more than 500 million dollars.
- More diverse content: Committed to creating more general content, without sacrificing quality, but aimed at a less “cult” audience
- Faster cancellations: Series that do not work will be canceled more quickly.
Added to this is the fact that movie premieres have been canceled, allowing Apple to save money on distribution and marketing campaigns. Apple’s goal is focus on projects that do not exceed $100 million. So, instead of having made, for example, a single film like The Moon Killersthey could have produced up to five, thus reaching more genres and people.
There will be one last chance with the film “F1”
For now, and if there is no change, the last film that Apple will be shown in cinemas around the world will be the F1 film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Lewis Hamilton and Brad Pitt himself. It definitely has the potential to be a hit because of the theme and the actors. So if everything works, Apple could keep hope by offering one theatrical release per year. If this doesn’t work, it would completely shut down the theatrical release cycle and they would focus 100% on their streaming service to continue driving it towards profitability.
It’s important to note that while Apple TV+ isn’t profitable in direct terms, it has strategic value for the company. On the one hand, strengthens the Apple ecosystem and user loyaltyin addition to attracting Apple One plan subscribers.
The next few years will be crucial for Apple TV+. The company you have to find the balance between maintaining the quality that has characterized its productions, expanding its subscriber base and controlling costs to sustain the service. If the success of Wolves This is an indication, it seems that Apple is on the right track. Only time will tell if this new strategy will position Apple TV+ as a serious competitor in the saturated streaming market.
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