Apple TV+ ranks low in streaming industry surveys despite market boom

Posted:
in General Discussion
The majority of streaming service customers subscribe to Netflix but only 14% can say the same for Apple TV+, according to a new J.D. Power survey.

Credit: AppleInsider


About 81% of respondents to the survey said they subscribe to Netflix, the number one streaming service by far. Amazon Prime Video ranked second with 65%, while Hulu came in third with 56%, according to the survey seen by Variety.

Disney+ and HBO Max rounded out the rest of the top five streaming services with 47% and 22%, respectively. Even NBC streamer Peacock came in higher than Apple, with 18% of those surveyed saying they subscribe to the service.

Streaming has surged against the backdrop of the global coronavirus pandemic. The J.D. Power survey also indicates that 49% of respondents subscribe to four or more streaming services, up from three at the start of the health crisis.

Spending on streaming platforms is also up 24% in December 2020, with consumers shelling out an average of $47 a month. That's up from an average of $38 a month in April 2020.

The overall ranking of streaming services in the J.D. Power survey lines up with other recent research, including a report from JustWatch.

Calculating "measured interest" in the streaming services, JustWatch reports that Netflix came in first, followed by Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, and Apple TV+, in that order.

However, JustWatch's report doesn't line up in percentages. According to the "measured interest" metric, Netflix came in with 31%. Apple TV+, at the low end of the spectrum, had 3% of the measured interest.

Although surveys and data like these can paint a broad picture of the streaming industry, differences in calculations and methodology can make it hard to pinpoint what's actually going on.

Earlier on Friday, a MoffetNathan survey indicated that 62% of Apple TV+ subscribers were on a free trial and that less than a third would renew their service.
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 45
    Despite a couple of serious hits and lots of brand name stars, AppleTV+ is, by-and-large, a mediocre offering thus far. Doesn't come close to a Netflix or a Disney. 

    The useless Apple remote doesn't help. Most average users I know get completely turned off by the silly thing, since content discovery sucks. 
    elijahgflyingdp
  • Reply 2 of 45
    Very little content is the issue here.  As far a quality goes, pretty much all of the shows I have watched on ATV+ have been high quality and entertaining.  Netflix has quantity, but you sure cannot say all of the programs are high quality.  Peacock, which rated higher than ATV+ in this report, was a waste of money.  I have not found anything worth watching on it that I haven't already seen.
    I find I watch Netflix the most, followed by HBO, ATV+, Hulu, Prime, then Disney.  I will be dropping Peacock when the year is up.  I keep Disney for the kids, and hope for new shows that are a bit more riveting than we have seen so far.  
    yojimbo007dewme
  • Reply 3 of 45
    planning to renew subscription, but not at its current slate of offerings, which fit a single page of paper. good thing apple extended the free trial. likely to buy time for the hopefuls. 
  • Reply 4 of 45
    I would give it a try but won't be buying new Apple TV to be able to airplay it on TV and not gonna watch it on 13" either. If they do not want support their old HW then no business. If it works with anything else why not Apple TV app.
  • Reply 5 of 45
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member

    I think the foundation series has to work. It is does it will draw lots of people, well people with iPhones and so on. 

    The idea here should be to push the Apple TV as well.  I think it would work if smaller. 
    mac_dog
  • Reply 6 of 45
    It will take a few years...  it is a quantity issue imo! 
    GeorgeBMacmac_dogflyingdp
  • Reply 7 of 45
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,152member
    Disney+ and HBO Max rounded out the rest of the top five streaming services with 47% and 22%, respectively. Even NBC streamer Peacockcame in higher than Apple, with 18% of those surveyed saying they subscribe to the service.

    FMD. What a disaster.
    JazzMonkey
  • Reply 8 of 45
    Apple’s timidity with acquisitions is going to kill all of the momentum on this platform if they fail to move fast.
    anantksundaramGeorgeBMacflyingdprazorpit
  • Reply 9 of 45
    It will take a few years...  it is a quantity issue imo! 
    True. I appreciate that they are focusing on quality though even if it means the quantity will take a while. 

    My first point of call these days is AppleTV + followed by Disney+. I only bother checking out Netflix if there’s nothing new to watch on the other services. It takes a lot longer to find something worth watching on Netflix and the quality of their Originals is a lot more hit and miss than it was in the past. 
    edited January 2021 qwerty52
  • Reply 10 of 45
    lolliver said:
    It will take a few years...  it is a quantity issue imo! 
    True. I appreciate that they are focusing on quality though even if it means the quantity will take a while. 

    My first point of call these days is AppleTV + followed by Disney+. I only bother checking out Netflix if there’s nothing new to watch on the other services. It takes a lot longer to find something worth watching on Netflix and the quality of their Originals is a lot more hit and miss than it was in the past. 
    Just as examples of some recent ones, have you tried Fauda? Occupied? Lupin? Caliphate?

    Not trying to be snarky, just helpful; I could recommend many, many more.
    muthuk_vanalingamxyzzy01
  • Reply 11 of 45
    lolliver said:
    It will take a few years...  it is a quantity issue imo! 
    True. I appreciate that they are focusing on quality though even if it means the quantity will take a while. 

    My first point of call these days is AppleTV + followed by Disney+. I only bother checking out Netflix if there’s nothing new to watch on the other services. It takes a lot longer to find something worth watching on Netflix and the quality of their Originals is a lot more hit and miss than it was in the past. 
    I see others conveying that same sentiment; Apple is focusing on quality.  Why do you think that?  ATV+ has a few good shows but the overall fare is no more quality than the other major streaming services imo.  Like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, etc. there are just as many misses as hits. Every show, the few there are, isn't going to appeal to every person.  The more shows they have, the more chances they have to appeal to someone.   ATV+ needs content, and needs it badly imo.  A content back catalog would be the most expedient answer, especially in the time of COVID when new content may be delayed because of the pandemic.
    muthuk_vanalingamelijahggatorguyflyingdpSpamSandwich
  • Reply 12 of 45
    Everything about Apple TV+ gets scrutinized to the Nth degree. From the beginning Apple has said it wants to be different from other streaming services and build a library from scratch instead of repackaging old content. From the beginning Apple has been criticized for being different. 

    Reading how little content Apple TV+ has compared to Netflix equals reading how much garbage is on Netflix. 

    Right now I am enjoying Friday mornings on Apple TV+ watching new episodes of Dickinson and Servant. I am looking forward to the next season of All Mankind. 

    So Apple TV+ is ranked last again. Does it mean Apple is going broke financially? No. Does it mean Apple needs an acquisition to shovel old content? No. Does it mean Apple should drop Apple TV+? No. 

    When is the next survey scheduled?
  • Reply 13 of 45
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,273member
    frantisek said:
    I would give it a try but won't be buying new Apple TV to be able to airplay it on TV and not gonna watch it on 13" either. If they do not want support their old HW then no business. If it works with anything else why not Apple TV app.
    To the best of my knowledge TV+ works fine on a third-gen Apple TV box -- I was at a friend's house today and set it up for her. The latest version of the Apple TV app now has a dedicated tab for TV+, which is a HUGE help.

    My opinion on TV+ (briefly this time) is that the content is worth the price they charge for it ($5/month, even better if you're on the free trial). It's true there's not a huge amount of content, but what there is is very good (not all to my taste, but all very well-made). There's a few shows on there I adore. It isn't, and isn't trying to be, a Netflix (which I *don't* think is worth more than $10 a month).

    If you are mad because it won't run on something older than a third-gen (introduced EIGHT YEARS AGO), then you're just being silly.
    qwerty52
  • Reply 14 of 45
    chasm said:
    frantisek said:
    I would give it a try but won't be buying new Apple TV to be able to airplay it on TV and not gonna watch it on 13" either. If they do not want support their old HW then no business. If it works with anything else why not Apple TV app.
    To the best of my knowledge TV+ works fine on a third-gen Apple TV box -- I was at a friend's house today and set it up for her. The latest version of the Apple TV app now has a dedicated tab for TV+, which is a HUGE help.


    Everything works fine on second generation as well. Except Apple TV+. Mean Airplaying everything. 
    tenthousandthings
  • Reply 15 of 45
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    Apple, since the very beginning has argued against cable TV's penchant for flooding the consumer with a huge pile of junk and, instead, argued for choice -- particularly around selected, high quality material.

    And, of course, they were correct.

    But, at the same time, current TV+ offering are so limited that they, by themselves cannot satisfy the typical consumer.   So they serve as a supplement to other subscription services.   And, that's ok:  at $5 a month I'm willing to take what I get and wait while Apple develops and rolls out more and more shows.

    Meanwhile, it ties in well with the physical Apple TV -- where yesterday I went from Apple Music videos to Apple Fitness+ to streaming a Mohamed Ali fight fight on FaceBook to Amazon Prime TV.  While I did not not watch any strictly Apple TV+ shows yesterday, that is really only because I'm in the middle of a series from Amazon Prime.  I have watched them and will be watching more in the future.
    chasm
  • Reply 16 of 45
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,753member
    Everything about Apple TV+ gets scrutinized to the Nth degree. From the beginning Apple has said it wants to be different from other streaming services and build a library from scratch instead of repackaging old content. From the beginning Apple has been criticized for being different. 

    Reading how little content Apple TV+ has compared to Netflix equals reading how much garbage is on Netflix. 

    Right now I am enjoying Friday mornings on Apple TV+ watching new episodes of Dickinson and Servant. I am looking forward to the next season of All Mankind. 

    So Apple TV+ is ranked last again. Does it mean Apple is going broke financially? No. Does it mean Apple needs an acquisition to shovel old content? No. Does it mean Apple should drop Apple TV+? No. 

    When is the next survey scheduled?
    Different isn't necessarily better. You might find what's on Netflix garbage, but many others obviously don't, and that's why Netflix has 200m subs vs Apple having to give its content away.
    cloudguyrazorpit
  • Reply 17 of 45
    Despite a couple of serious hits and lots of brand name stars, AppleTV+ is, by-and-large, a mediocre offering thus far. Doesn't come close to a Netflix or a Disney. 

    The useless Apple remote doesn't help. Most average users I know get completely turned off by the silly thing, since content discovery sucks. 
    Useless remote - why is this a constant refrain?  What’s your issue with it?

    Everyone in my family love the remote and find it completely intuitive. 

    As far as programming, we subscribe to ATV+ through the bundle (best bang for the buck) and I absolutely love the quality of most shows. The family -  not so much...

    Wife only watches broadcast television, TV land, and Bravo.  The kids, 14 and 9,  are on tic tok, play station and, ESPN respectively. 

    Disney+ - We have just renewed a year long subscription because it’s cheep. Kids don’t watch it though, and let’s face it, other than the mandalorian, what new content does it have? we’ve already seen everything...

    HBOMax - free through home broadband package- otherwise would not subscribe. Also would get it free through our mobile phone plan - so there’s that...

    Amazon Prime - Free through Amazon yearly subscription - otherwise would not subscribe.  Though I do most of my other than AT+ streaming here because I love the foreign offerings...

    Netflix -  it is not worth the $ they’re asking;  So we only subscribe if there’s something that has the interest of the entire family. Haven’t had Netflix in well over a year...

    Peacock - free tier -   Nothing worth watching.  


    edited January 2021 chasm
  • Reply 18 of 45
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,309moderator
    Apple’s timidity with acquisitions is going to kill all of the momentum on this platform if they fail to move fast.
    They were supposedly in talks to buy MGM but the $7.5b price was too high (that's about the same as the Pixar buyout):

    https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/01/28/apple-reportedly-held-preliminary-acquisition-talks-with-mgm
    https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2020-12-21/james-bond-studio-mgm-is-exploring-a-sale

    "Anchorage CEO Kevin Ulrich, as chairman of MGM’s board, had wanted a price of at least $7.5 billion, according to industry insiders. The studio’s market value is about $5.5 billion including debt, said one person familiar with the company’s finances who was not authorized to comment."

    If every group in Apple has to be independently profitable and Apple has 20 million subscribers on a $5/month service ($100m/month and most are likely not paying just now), spending $7.5b is 6 years of Apple TV+ revenue. MGM owns a lot of content (4,000 movies and a bunch of TV shows) but they wouldn't all be exclusive to Apple TV+ and might not get them 6 years of subscriber mileage:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer_films
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MGM_Television_programs

    The Bond movies would be worthwhile if they were included but that kind of money could fund 150 exclusive $50m movies like Greyhound. They'd get more mileage out of exclusives like that but the downside is they will likely only be able to get around 20 per year (and harder to acquire once the pandemic is clear) so content would be sparse for a long time.

    They seem to choose the less interesting options with their content purchases, all the services are buying content from production companies. Apple ordered a series starring Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman):

    https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2020/05/apple-orders-hedy-lamarr-starring-and-executive-produced-by-gal-gadot/

    but Netflix ordered a spy thriller like Mission Impossible:

    https://deadline.com/2021/01/netflix-gal-gadot-heart-of-stone-skydance-auction-spy-thriller-tom-harper-directing-1234674347/

    Whoever is in charge of Apple's purchasing seems to be going for the less interesting of the available options, possibly due to price.

    Having a back catalog of shows would help with subscribers, people still go back to those regularly (The Office, Friends, Seinfeld, Grey's Anatomy):

    https://bgr.com/2020/05/25/most-watched-tv-shows-during-coronavirus-pandemic-for-every-state/
    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/ozark-the-office-lead-nielsens-2020-streaming-rankings

    They might see it as redundant doing that when so many people subscribe Netflix with the same shows. That's why I think a tie-in with iTunes content would be worth doing if they can, all that non-exclusive content is on iTunes but can't be watched as part of the subscription. If you can buy 6 episodes for $12.99, surely they can find a way to charge for episodes as part of a subscription. Even if it was more expensive, having the option would be nice and if they charge the ownership amount, watching the show so many times would add it permanently to the user's library. Allowing people to watch anything from iTunes would let them see what people want to watch and can focus the budget on it.

    https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/the-office-season-1/id102772946

    The most watched original series listed above were Ozark, Lucifer, The Crown, Tiger King, The Mandalorian. Crime, supenatural and hospital dramas are usually popular like Grey's Anatomy, ER, Dexter, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Twilight, Jessica Jones. These type of shows allow for a wide range of storylines and characters to avoid a series getting boring. There are a lot of old movies that could be turned into TV series.





    Apple's movie content stands way above their TV content in quality. If they can get movies like Greyhound and The Banker every month, Apple TV+ would be worth it for that. For their TV content, it needs something more compelling than people putting it on because they got a free subscription. Maybe a TV series with Samuel L Jackson, Tom Hanks or Morgan Freeman or well known talented actors that are not landing good roles:

    https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/02/25-a-list-hollywood-actors-who-fell-the-f-off/
  • Reply 19 of 45
    doggonedoggone Posts: 377member
    This is a complicated comparison:
    Netflix: Has been around for years, is cross platform and on cable boxes and tvs.
    Amazon Video:  bundled in with Prime
    Hulu: has been around a long time and has distribution deals.
    Peacock:  huge catalog and bundled in with cable
    Disney+: huge catalog and available on cable

    Apple:  has a long way to go.  The distribution channel is smaller and the content is minimal compared to others.  The Apple TV is more expensive that other devices and tied mostly to Apple devices.   
    anantksundaram
  • Reply 20 of 45
    mac_dogmac_dog Posts: 1,069member
    Despite a couple of serious hits and lots of brand name stars, AppleTV+ is, by-and-large, a mediocre offering thus far. Doesn't come close to a Netflix or a Disney. 

    The useless Apple remote doesn't help. Most average users I know get completely turned off by the silly thing, since content discovery sucks. 
    Disagree. Netflix and Disney suck. All the star wars shows are simply juvenile in script & acting. And I’ve seen pretty much everything. Can’t wait till foundation comes out. 
Sign In or Register to comment.