'Masters of the Air' Sees Most Watched Apple TV+ Launch to Date

Apple TV+ series Masters of the Air had more viewers in its opening weekend than any other ‌Apple TV‌+ show has had in its first season, Apple told Variety.

masters of the air
Apple did not provide details on the exact number of viewers, but the show beat out popular ‌Apple TV‌+ offerings like The Morning Show and Severance. Masters of the Air features the 100th Bomb Group that performed dangerous aviation raids in Nazi Germany.

After the premiere of Masters of the Air, viewership across ‌Apple TV‌+ grew 65 percent worldwide compared to the prior seven-day period, plus Apple maintained double-digit growth across more than 100 territories.

Masters of the Air was a highly anticipated show that was created as a companion series to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, both of which were popular when they debuted, so it had a built-in audience. The show is executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who also worked on the prior shows.

Masters of the Air debuted on January 26, and episodes are being released weekly. The finale is set to air on Friday, March 15.

Popular Stories

iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Big Plans for iPad Mini 8

Friday November 28, 2025 8:39 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the latest rumors about Apple's upcoming iPad mini 8. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The next-generation version of the iPad mini is expected to feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple...
Cyber Monday Deals 2025

Best Cyber Monday Apple Deals Include Big Discounts on AirPods, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 30, 2025 7:33 am PST by
Now that Black Friday is in the rearview mirror, Cyber Monday discounts have begun appearing online, and you can find popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more at all-time low prices. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may ...

Top Rated Comments

1applerules1 Avatar
23 months ago

Couldn’t watch the first episode! Got boring for me!
It’s ok, not everyone has good taste in tv shows.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GDF Avatar
23 months ago

Curious. I wonder how much longer WWII dramas will be relevant? We’re approaching a time when no one from the war era survives. I’m a little surprised that the demand for WWII related content continues to draw so much demand.
Why? Lots of interest still in Westerns and many period time pieces. Think of 1883, 1923, etc…. Lots of people love watching that stuff, including me. :)
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
23 months ago
Steven Spielberg is one of the producers. His son, Sawyer Spielberg, has a recurring role in the series as Lt. Roy Claytor. We’ve been watching it and enjoy it. What those B-17 bomber crews went through was nothing short of hell on earth.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
23 months ago

Of course “TV-MA” like 95% of their content. Not much family friendly programming. o_O
Oh give it a rest. You’ve got Disney+ for that. Why always negative?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
picpicmac Avatar
23 months ago

I wonder how much longer WWII dramas will be relevant?
Given all the content made about the Roman Empire as an example, I'd say at least 1500 years.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
avkills Avatar
23 months ago
Remembering and studying the past so the same mistakes are not made again...not that it is going very well...lol.

No offense to the younger crowd; but those who fought in WWII are heroes -- there are not a lot of people in the same age bracket today that would do what they did.

I am enjoying the series so far, but it is also making me sad knowing the sacrifices that were made.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)