Apple TV Sets All-Time Viewership Record!
Apple's streaming platform broke its own viewership record in the company's fiscal third quarter that ended on June 27. Apple CFO Kevan Parekh announced that the video services grew in double digits and that Apple TV viewership reached a historic peak during the three-month period.
However, this announcement did not include viewing hours, unique users, or subscriber counts. Therefore, while Apple’s growth compared to its own history is confirmed, the platform's true scale against Netflix, Disney+, or HBO Max remains uncertain.
The Size of the Record is Unknown
Apple does not report financial and operational data for Apple TV separately from its other services. The platform's revenue falls within the broader Services segment, which includes the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, AppleCare, advertising, and payment services.
The company’s reported “all-time highest viewership” is based solely on comparisons with previous quarters of Apple TV. It has not disclosed which countries experienced growth, how many hours of total viewership were reached, or the rate of increase.
This picture shows the direction of the record but does not reveal its size. Apple TV may be growing; however, with the disclosed data, it is impossible to calculate its rank in the global streaming market.
Services Revenue Reached $30.7 Billion
Revenue from Apple’s Services segment increased by 12% compared to the same period last year, reaching $30.7 billion. This result marked the highest service revenue between the June quarters for the company. Apple also announced that it set quarterly revenue records across all service categories, including video, music, App Store, advertising, and AppleCare.
In contrast, the growth rate of the segment fell from 16% in the previous quarter to 12%. The company stated that the main reason for the slowdown was the negative impact of exchange rates. The weak performance of mobile games in the App Store was also cited as a factor dragging down growth.
1.5 Billion Subscriptions Not Exclusive to Apple TV
Apple also announced that the number of paid subscriptions exceeded 1.5 billion in the quarterly results. However, this figure does not represent the number of Apple TV subscribers, as has sometimes been misreported.
It includes subscriptions for third-party applications and services billed through the App Store, in addition to Apple’s own services. The company does not disclose how much of this comes from Apple TV memberships.
Therefore, it is not accurate to compare the 1.5 billion figure with the paid subscriber counts of Netflix or any other streaming platform.
New Series and Returning Productions Stand Out
In its quarterly assessment, Apple highlighted new series Widow’s Bay and Cape Fear, along with returning shows Silo and Sugar. The company also noted that the fourth season of Ted Lasso will begin in early August.
These productions are thought to have contributed to the viewership record. However, since Apple does not disclose audience or viewing hours on a show-by-show basis, it is impossible to determine which content drove the increase.
The platform's award performance is more visible. Apple TV productions received 89 Emmy nominations this year. According to the company, the platform has won over 850 awards in about six and a half years, with the total number of nominations approaching 3,800. Widow’s Bay became the new series with the most Emmy nominations this year, receiving 19 nominations.
No Film to Replace the F1 Effect
Another reason for the slowdown in the Services segment was the lack of a repeat of last year's cinema calendar in this quarter. Apple stated that the theatrical release of F1 The Movie generated revenue in last year's June and September quarters, and there is no similar film of that scale in this year's corresponding period.
While Apple TV may have broken its own viewership record, the company's fundamental approach to its broadcasting strategy has not changed: Success is announced, but detailed audience data is kept within the company. Therefore, the announcement shows that the platform has risen; however, it leaves the question of how much it has risen unanswered.
