Apple TV+ Expected to Reach 36 Million Subscribers By 2026, Far Short of Rivals

Apple's TV+ digital streaming service is expected to have a total of 36 million subscribers by the end of 2026, according to research firm Digital TV Research (via The Hollywood Reporter).

apple tv plus banner
According to the research, Disney's wildly successful streaming service will overtake Netflix and reach 284.2 million subscribers by 2026. Netflix by comparison is expected to hit 270.7 million subscribers by that time. Amazon Prime Video is expected to grow to 243.4 million users.

Apple has never provided details on ‌Apple TV+‌ subscriber numbers in the two years since its digital streaming service began, so it's unclear how many new subscribers it would need to attract to reach 36 million over the next five years, but the research highlights Apple's continuing lack of market share compared to other streaming services.

Apple is still giving people who buy a new device a free year of service, in the hope that customers will opt to pay the $5 a month fee to continue to have access to Apple's content. Approximately half of ‌‌Apple TV‌+‌ subscribers are now believed to be paying for the service, with the other half still using a free trial period.

Meanwhile, Apple is working hard to bolster its selection of original movies and TV shows. For example, Apple has reportedly been telling studio executives that it is aiming to do more than 10 to 12 original movies per year for ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+. Apple has a limited number of high profile films already, including "Palmer," "Cherry," and "Greyhound," and sees it as a way to draw more people into ‌Apple TV‌+.

Apple also intends to increase the amount of regular new content on ‌‌Apple TV‌+‌ in 2022, with at least one new item added per week, which is more than double the pace of new content in 2021. Still, it will be several years yet before ‌‌Apple TV‌+‌ has a catalog that can compete with other streaming services.

Apple reportedly abandoned its plans for a low-cost ‌Apple TV‌ dongle as a way to entice users to the service. The company is said to consider ‌‌Apple TV‌+‌ as a standalone business rather than a mechanism to encourage users to buy into the Apple ecosystem.

Popular Stories

Nineth iOS 19 Feature

iOS 19 Beta is a Month Away With These New Features for Your iPhone

Thursday May 8, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is just one month away, and there are already many new features and changes that are expected with it. Apple should seed the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Apple's Foldable iPhone Display Tech May Set New Industry Standard

Thursday May 8, 2025 3:29 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will feature a new type of display panel developed by Samsung that has never been used in a foldable product, claims a source with links to Apple's supply chain. According to the account yeux1122 on the Korean Naver blog, the foldable iPhone will use a custom display process for which Apple will hold branding trademark rights, and that meets Apple's stringent ...
siri glow

iPhone Users Now Able to Submit Claims in $95 Million Siri Spying Lawsuit

Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:40 am PDT by
If you owned a Siri-compatible device and had an accidental Siri activation between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024, you could be eligible for a payment from Apple as part of a class action lawsuit settlement. Apple in January agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit involving Siri spying accusations, and a website to distribute the funds has now been set up and...
iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes

Tuesday May 6, 2025 2:17 pm PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.5 to developers and public beta testers, giving us a look at the final version of the update that will be provided to the public next week. With the release candidate, Apple provided release notes, so we have a more complete look at the new features that are included in the update, including those that weren't found during the beta...
Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
fortnite apple featured

Epic Games Submits Fortnite to U.S. App Store

Friday May 9, 2025 9:57 am PDT by
As promised, Epic Games today submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and if approved by Apple, it will mark the first time that the Fortnite app has been available in the United States since 2020. Fortnite will include options to purchase in-app currency from the web rather than through in-app purchase, which is what got the game banned to begin with. This time, though, Apple has been...
airpods pro purple

Apple's Camera Equipped AirPods and Apple Watch Could Launch as Soon as 2027

Thursday May 8, 2025 10:14 am PDT by
Apple is working on versions of the AirPods and Apple Watch that incorporate a camera, and the devices could be ready to launch sometime around 2027, reports Bloomberg. Apple has developed a chip codenamed "Nevis" that will be used for its camera-equipped Apple Watch, while a chip codenamed "Glennie" will be incorporated into the AirPods. Apple is aiming to have the chips ready "by around...

Top Rated Comments

Kkspire Avatar
47 months ago
Who are they rivaling? I don’t know any other streaming network with all original content. It’s not Netflix or Hulu, it’s more like a channel to me. And I love all the content so far. It’s rich.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pauloregan Avatar
47 months ago
We don't want Apple TV+ to be another Netflix. NF has enough 3 and a half star content to numb you for years.
Be better. TV quality has nothing to do with stats.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Phil77354 Avatar
47 months ago
Interesting. I have Apple TV+ as well as other streaming services, and I don't really consider the Apple TV+ to be a direct competitor to the Netflix and Hulu's of the world. Apple is also putting out considerably more unique product all the time, after what was likely viewed as a slow start.

The original programs are very good (Ted Lasso, Morning Show), it has some unique movies (Greyhound). I'm satisfied with it so far.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dwalls90 Avatar
47 months ago
Considering it's a fraction of the price of Netflix, and almost all the content is top notch, I don't care about how many subscribers they have. Netflix has some great content too, but is mostly bloated with trash.

Apple has never been about driving volume, but rather quality. Sometimes less is more.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
serkankocak Avatar
47 months ago
I don’t care how many subscribers they have compared to their competitors as long as they have enough to continue their great work.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
repoman016 Avatar
47 months ago
I forgot I even had apple tv for like 6 months when I got the free trial with a new device. Canceling next month.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)