Apple (AAPL) TV+ Loses to Streaming Market Peers in Q4

Apple’s AAPL streaming service, Apple TV+, which offers exclusive Apple original TV shows and movies in 4K HDR quality, is expected to have been lagging viewer interest in the overcrowded streaming market dominated by Netflix NFLX.

Per a research from JustWatch cited by 9TO5 Mac, Apple TV+ had only 3% of market share in the fourth quarter of 2020 in the United States compared with streamers like Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video service and Disney’s DIS Hulu who captured 31%, 22% and 14% of the market share, respectively.

Moreover, new entrants such as Comcast’s CMCSA Peacock, HBO Max, and Disney+, which were launched after Apple TV+, surpassed the iPhone maker with 6%, 9% and 13% of market share, respectively.

Coronavirus-led production delays and postponement of new original shows and movies are expected to have negatively impacted Apple TV+ user growth in 2020.

Nonetheless, with 585 million paid subscribers across its Services portfolio and an expanding original content slate for Apple TV+ in 2021, Apple is expected to attract more users for its streaming service in the near term.

Moreover, Apple has extended the Apple TV+ trial period to July 2021 for subscribers who already had the 1-year free trial. The yearly subscriber extension applies to people whose services were set to expire between February 2021 and June 2021.

Currently, the Apple TV app is available on over 1 billion screens in more than 100 countries across select platforms including LG, Sony, and VIZIO smart TVs, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Markedly, Apple’s shares have returned 66.8% in the past year, outperforming the Zacks Computer - Mini computers industry’s rally of 66.1%.

One Year Performance

Expanding Apple TV+ Content to Drive Viewership

The new Apple TV+ tab in the Apple TV app on iOS and tvOS enables access to premium channels like AMC+, CBS All Access, SHOWTIME, and Starz and content from streaming services like Disney+, Peacock, HBO Max, and Discovery+.

This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company’s original shows and films on Apple TV+, which have been featured across numerous Best of 2020 lists include The Morning Show, Tehran, Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, On the Rocks, Beastie Boys Story, Boys State and Little America among others. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

In early 2021, customers can enjoy second seasons of Apple’s original series including Dickinson and Servant, as well as new series Losing Alice.

Additionally, Apple TV+ recently released the official trailer for the second season of For All Mankind, the drama series by Golden Globe nominee and Emmy Award winner Ronald D. Moore. The first episode of the second season with 10 episodes will be released worldwide on Feb 19, followed by a new episode every Friday, exclusively on Apple TV+.

Available at $4.99 per month, Apple TV+ is looking to premiere Shantaram, a series that is based on the New York Times bestseller novel from Min Jin Lee, and Uma Thurman-starrer Suspicion based on the award-winning Israeli series, False Flag.

Meanwhile, the iPhone-maker has a handful of blockbusters lined up such as Emancipation, the in-development Will Smith film it acquired for around $105 million. Other movies slated for 2021 include Palmer, Cherry, and the documentary, Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry.

Further, the Apple TV app introduced Essential Stories, celebrating Black artistry in film and TV, featuring original artwork by Darien Birks, Loveis Wise, and Richard Chance in 2020.

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