Apple TV+, the iPhone maker’s on-demand video service, is reportedly seeing its viewership increasing now that hundreds of millions of people in the United States and elsewhere are obeying stay-at-home orders, according to data from Parrot Analytics.
The young video-streaming service has reportedly registered a ten percent viewership increase since March 11 when the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic, representing the largest growth for Apple TV+ in the past two weeks.
While Apple’s streaming rivals have benefitted even more during the coronavirus pandemic, Apple TV+ continues to account “for a small share of total demand versus more established streaming competitors”, Parrot said, according to Deadline yesterday.
Steve Langdon, Partnership Director with Parrot Analytics, attributed the viewership increase for Apple TV+ to a surge in content consumption as people shelter in place.
Let’s not forget that Apple TV+ recently added two new original series.
Sitcom ‘Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet’ debuted February 7 and has 8.7 times the demand of the average TV show in the US. he said. The revamp of Steven Spielberg’s ‘Amazing Stories’ on March 6 currently has 14.1 times the demand of the average TV show in the US.
Apple doesn’t report Apple TV+ numbers, meaning Parrot’s data is estimated: they measure demand for television shows based on a variety of signals like social media engagement, video streaming and peer-to-peer protocols, photo sharing, blogging and research platforms.
For a limited time, Apple is giving you a chance to check out Apple TV+ content like “Dickinson” and “For All Mankind” without a subscription.
Apple TV+ has been available for five months while its entrenched competitors like Netflix and HBO have been in the streaming game for many years now. Whether that means that Apple TV+ will take years to catch up to its more established competitors remains to be seen.
TUTORIAL: How to get free access to Apple TV+
Citing Disney+ as an example of a successful streaming launch just because it recently passed fifty million subscribers since launching about five months ago is wrong — nothing compares to breadth and scope of Disney’s offering, as well as its brand and market power.
Apple TV+ launched last November and Disney+ arrived less than two weeks after Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ is available via the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch, Mac, select Samsung smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com.
TUTORIAL: How to sign up for Apple TV+
The service costs $5 per month after a seven-day free trial. New Apple device owners are eligible for one full year of free service. Visit apple.com/promo for more information.