While Apple hasn’t disclosed the number of Apple TV+ subscribers, and, of course, the service is still well inside its first year, during which buyers of new Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs get a full year of Apple TV+ for free, usage estimates peg the subscriber total somewhere between 10 million and 40 million.
In a research note Thursday, J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee does a deep dive on the prospects for Apple TV+…
Chatterjee says Apple was originally expected to spend $1 billion on new programming, but there are reports that its annual budget could go as high as $6 billion as the company attempts to compete with Disney, Netflix and Amazon, as well as new services like Comcast’s Peacock and AT&T’s HBO Max. Recent news reports say the company has adjusted its strategy and started shopping for library film and television content for the service as a way to offer more options to viewers.
The bottom line is, Chatterjee still thinks the company can reach 100 million paid subscribers to its video streaming service by fiscal 2025.
MacDailyNews Take: 100 million paid Apple TV+ subscribers by 2025 might well be too low.
If the high range of estimates are already at 40 million in 2020, that would be pretty anemic growth to take five years to get to 100 million.
Apple TV+ is already in over 100 countries with a strong trial program and a low monthly price of just $4.99. Apple TV+ is available on billions of devices, including the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, select Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, as well as online at tv.apple.com with a seven-day free trial. The Apple TV app is available on LG, Sony and VIZIO smart TVs. Customers who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ for free. Apple Music Student subscribers get Apple TV+ for free. With all of these free trial opportunities, by 2025, Apple TV+ will be well established, with multiple hit series, and the service will very likely have paying subscribers in excess of 100 million.
