Is Apple TV+ about to crash the Netflix and Disney party? Disney+, launched late last year, is making quite a splash, quickly topping 60 million subscribers worldwide. Apple TV+ started out at a slower pace, but things have been picking up as of late.
Rick Munarriz for The Motley Fool:
t’s widely assumed that Netflix is going to stay on top for at least a few more years (if not longer), but Disney is closing the gap despite being around for all of 11 months. This will probably be an unpopular opinion, but what if Apple is the next big thing? Yes, Apple TV+ launched a few days before Disney+, and like anything that isn’t Disney+, it failed to hit the ground running. But it’s the home of a new cult hit series in Ted Lasso, and is now taking over the next three months of your family traditions as the exclusive home of the iconic Charlie Brown holiday specials, so you’re probably going to give Apple a second chance.
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is now streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. This is the first time in more than five decades that the Peanuts-fueled Halloween classic won’t air on network TV… Apple will also be the exclusive home of the popular Thanksgiving and Christmas Peanuts specials in the coming weeks… This is a great score for Apple TV+, and the world’s most valuable company by market cap is doing something brilliant here. The three seasonal specials will always be available for on-demand streaming on the platform, but for a few days around each holiday, it will make the content available to non-subscribers at no cost.
MacDailyNews Take: On Rotten Tomatoes, Season 1 of Ted Lasso scores an audience score of 98%. That’s exactly what Apple TV+ needs. Season 2 can’t debut soon enough (and Jason Sudeikis should be in line for quite the raise). Hits, strong word of mouth, and, at some level, awards drive subscribers to services.