Apple is reportedly reassessing its approach to Apple TV+ after spending an astonishing $20 billion on original content, much of which has gone unnoticed by audiences. According to Bloomberg, Apple executive Eddy Cue has been in discussions with studio heads Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht about controlling costs and improving the platform’s reputation, which has been marked by excessive spending.
Among the high-profile investments, Apple allocated $250 million for the miniseries “Masters of Air,” which debuted this year but failed to gain significant attention. Additionally, the company has invested over $500 million on films from acclaimed directors such as Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, and Matthew Vaughn.
Despite this heavy expenditure, Apple TV+ captures only 0.2% of television viewership in the U.S., with its monthly viewership falling short of what Netflix achieves in just 24 hours. Moreover, the platform has faced challenges in expanding its subscriber base.
Though Apple does not prioritize streaming as part of its core business model, it appears that its era of unrestricted spending is coming to a close. The company has shown hesitation in renewing shows for third seasons, according to Bloomberg data. Notably, Apple TV+ remains the only major streaming service without an advertising tier, a situation that may change following the hiring of Joseph Cady, a former NBCUniversal ad executive, earlier this year.