Apple is losing more than $1 billion (roughly Rs. 8,604 crore) a year on its streaming service, the Information reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the matter.
The tech giant has spent more than $5 billion (roughly Rs. 43,020 crore) a year on content since launching Apple TV+ in 2019 but trimmed it by around $500 million (roughly Rs. 4,302 crore) last year, the report said.
Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Apple TV+, known for original shows such as “Ted Lasso”, “The Morning Show”, “Shrinking”, and “Severance”, has lagged behind rivals Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon.com’s Prime Video in terms of subscribers.
Industry leader Netflix had a total subscriber count of 301.63 million, according to the latest data, while Disney+ had 124.6 million users followed by Warner Bros Discovery at 116.9 million.
The iPhone maker does not break down the subscribers for Apple TV+ but it is estimated to have reached 40.4 million at the end of 2024, according to five analysts polled by Visible Alpha.
Apple TV+ productions have earned more than 2,500 nominations and 538 wins, CEO Tim Cook said in a post earnings call in January.
As competition heats up in the streaming industry, media companies are increasingly bundling their services at discounted rates to appeal to price-conscious consumers.
Apple TV+ is part of a bundle offered by Comcast that combines the service with Peacock and Netflix at $15 (roughly Rs. 1,290) per month. Apple TV+ costs $9.99 (roughly Rs. 860) per month in the US when bought separately.
The Cupertino, California-based company also bundles Apple TV+ with services such as iCloud, Apple Music, and others under the Apple One program.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
