Historically, Apple TV+ has focused on original productions, but sources familiar with the matter indicate the company is now looking to expand its offerings by acquiring content from established studios. While Apple TV+ has seen success with original series like “Ted Lasso” and “The Morning Show,” these hits have been sporadic. The service has struggled to compete with the vast catalogs of streaming giants like Netflix and Disney+.
Launched in November 2019, Apple TV+ positioned itself as a premium service with high-quality, original content. Despite receiving critical acclaim and numerous awards, including 72 Emmy nominations this year, Apple TV+ has not achieved the same subscriber numbers as its competitors.
Research firm MoffettNathanson reports that only 11% of U.S. households use Apple TV+, compared to 55% for Netflix. The limited content on Apple TV+ is a significant factor contributing to its slower growth, as data from Antenna suggests that services with larger libraries, like Netflix, have lower cancellation rates.
To address this, Apple has begun experimenting with licensing. Earlier this year, it licensed around 50 movies from Hollywood studios for its U.S. service, adding popular titles such as “Mean Girls” and “Titanic” to its catalog. The positive reception to these films has encouraged Apple to pursue additional deals. These discussions aim to license more titles, potentially expanding the service’s offerings both domestically and internationally. Meanwhile, major studios like Warner Bros., Discovery, and Disney are increasingly open to selling their content to rivals to boost revenue.
