Here's How Apple Strategically Places Its Products In Apple TV+ Shows

Apple TV+ is Apple's streaming service, written, produced, and developed by Apple and its partners, so it shouldn't come as a surprise for anyone to learn that Apple products are commonly placed throughout scenes for ‌Apple TV‌+ shows, but they're all done for specific reasons.

ted lasso macbook scene
A new video report by The Wall Street Journal, which required watching over 74 episodes of ‌Apple TV‌+ shows, including Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, Defending Jacob, and Trying, outlines precisely how and why Apple product placements are done throughout specific episodes.

According to the report, throughout 74 ‌Apple TV‌+ episodes, 300 iPhones, 120 MacBooks, and 40 pairs of AirPods were shown throughout certain scenes. That equates to over 700 Apple product placements. To put that into perspective, in one episode of Ted Lasso, a total of 36 Apple products were shown either on set or actively being used by characters.

To some, Apple is simply doing this as a promotion for its products, using the popularity and storyline of its shows to bolster its brand image. While undoubtedly true, the placements are strategic and not at all random. To understand the logic behind them, The ‌Wall Street Journal‌ cited Cristel Russell, a professor of marketing at Pepperdine University, to understand how brands, such as Apple, place their products in shows and movies.


The logic boils down to three areas; visuals, audio, and connection to the plot, according to Russel. A viewer's attention is typically geared towards the middle of the display, making product placements that are front and centered more noticeable. Apple uses that logic throughout several scenes of Ted Lasso and The Morning Show, for example, in which products are slowly brought into focus in the middle of the screen.

For audio, this may include references, such as the sound of an iOS notification or direct connections to Apple features and services. In several Ted Lasso scenes, characters can be heard stating they aim to FaceTime someone, or in one case in specific, Ted says he would buy some Apple stock. While subtle, Russell says these audio clips help consumers tie a connection to a particular brand or product.

Lastly, with plot connections, ‌Apple TV‌+ show writers and producers aim to make direct emotional and physiological connections for viewers between a device and a character's life story. As referenced in the video, in particular scenes of Ted Lasso, Ted can be seen using his iPhone to help him connect with his wife as they complete a divorce.

As Apple takes great care and attention to detail as to when and how its products are shown in ‌Apple TV‌+ content, the company is equally concerned over when not to show its products. A report from last year notes how Apple is deliberate in making sure that "bad guys" or villains in movies and shows are not seen using Apple devices since it may reflect poorly on Apple's image.

Popular Stories

Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
maxresdefault

New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Leaked in Unboxing Video

Tuesday September 30, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
An apparent unboxing video for an unannounced iPad Pro with the M5 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The same YouTube account leaked the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip before it was announced by Apple last year, so this is likely a legitimate leak. Based on the box shown in the video, this appears to be a 13-inch iPad Pro with an M5 chip, 256GB of...
LG UltraFine 6K Display TB5

LG UltraFine 6K (32U990A) TB5 Display: Pre-Orders Open September 30

Monday September 29, 2025 6:21 am PDT by
Pre-orders for LG's new UltraFine evo 6K display (model 32U990A) with Thunderbolt 5 support will begin on September 30, according to a major U.S. retailer listing. LG first revealed the 32-inch display at CES 2025 in January, teasing its status as the first monitor to support Thunderbolt 5. At the time, LG only provided high-level specs, but left pricing, availability, and full technical...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent 1

Samsung Confirms Plan to Make Foldable Displays for Major American Company

Monday September 29, 2025 6:54 am PDT by
Samsung Display president Lee Cheong has confirmed plans to make foldable smartphone displays for a major American company, which is widely believed to be Apple. As reported in Chosun Biz, Cheong last week told journalists in Seoul that the company is accelerating preparations for mass production of OLED displays designed for foldable smartphones to be supplied to a "North American client."...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

iPad Mini 8 Rumors: Everything We Know So Far

Monday September 29, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is likely to arrive next year, so here's what to expect. The current iPad mini came out in 2024, with the main upgrade over the previous version being the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence support. The previous generation introduced a complete redesign and the A15 Bionic chip. In August, Apple mistakenly shared code that revealed key information about ...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...

Top Rated Comments

Johnny907 Avatar
53 months ago
“Strategic?” They’re literally all over the place in their shows. Other than “For All Mankind” and “See,” for obvious reasons, it’s like Apple is the only tech company in these worlds. Funny part was when they were busted for editing out the notch on an iPhone 12 in an episode of Ted Lasso a couple weeks ago, as it proves even Apple is embarrassed about that thing.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlexESP Avatar
53 months ago

“Strategic?” They’re literally all over the place in their shows. Other than “For All Mankind” and “See,” for obvious reasons, it’s like Apple is the only tech company in these worlds. Funny part was when they were busted for editing out the notch on an iPhone 12 in an episode of Ted Lasso a couple weeks ago, as it proves even Apple is embarrassed about that thing.
I bet we’re 3 episodes away from watching the sighted discovering an old Mac in “See”.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fwmireault Avatar
53 months ago
As much as I love Ted Lasso, the product placement is very apparent, especially in the S02. I don’t mind that Apple promotes it’s own products on Apple TV+, but I don’t want to feel that the script is adaptated to call out Apple products or services (Coach Beard who shares an iCloud account, Ted who says he would have bought Apple stock, etc.). It was more subtil on The Morning Show
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dapa0s Avatar
53 months ago
I think the wall street journal overanalyzed it lol. They just put Apple products instead of any other competing products, whenever they got a chance. The only exception that I've seen was with Mythic Quest, where obviously the game developers used plastic PC stuff mostly, and not Apple products.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eawmp1 Avatar
53 months ago
I’m shocked


Attachment Image
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bobtem Avatar
53 months ago
Is this something that needs to be explained? Like saying “How Apple promotes itself in it‘s own ads…”
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)