Apple’s video streaming service, Apple TV+, continues to defy expectations with strong subscriber growth — even after the company raised its subscription price three times in the past three years.
While previous reports suggested that Apple TV+ had around 45 million subscribers, a recent statement from Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, reveals that the actual number is “significantly more than that.”
Cue made the remarks during his appearance on The Town, a Hollywood-focused podcast. Although he didn’t disclose the exact subscriber count, his comments suggest that Apple TV+ has seen substantial growth, outperforming many industry expectations.
According to estimates by FlixPatrol, the rumored 45 million figure would place Apple TV+ just ahead of Peacock, which reportedly has around 41 million subscribers. However, FlixPatrol’s latest data estimates Apple TV+ at 30 million, indicating that exact numbers may still vary significantly.
Growing a video streaming platform in today’s competitive market is no small feat. Apple entered the industry much later than established players like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video, all of which benefit from extensive content libraries and decades of entertainment production. By contrast, Apple had to build its catalog entirely from scratch, focusing on original series and films to attract subscribers.
Eddy Cue acknowledged these challenges, noting that unforeseen events such as the global pandemic and the Hollywood writers’ strike slowed production timelines. “It’s a lot harder than it looks,” Cue said. “I didn’t forecast being out of production for a year and a half or a nine-month strike, so we were a little further behind than I’d like to be. But where we are today is great.”
Despite these hurdles, Apple TV+ has built a strong reputation for high-quality original content, including award-winning shows like Ted Lasso, Severance, and The Morning Show. With growing global recognition and expanding viewership, Apple TV+ is steadily emerging as a powerful competitor in the streaming industry.