- Apple TV+ is rebranding to Apple TV
- This seems to be the only change and nothing else is affected
- This could cause confusion as Apple already has other products called Apple TV
Apple TV+ is rebranding. One of the best streaming services is dropping the last part of its name, and will now simply be called Apple TV.
Apple announced the change in a press release for F1, which is one of the new movies joining the streamer in December, where they said: “Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity.”
No other changes to the service have been announced, but The Hollywood Reporter said: “There has been speculation in the advertising world in recent months that Apple could follow Netflix and others in offering an ad-based tier both to improve the profitability, and to provide options for consumers.”
So, perhaps Apple TV+’s rebrand to Apple TV will be followed by more changes, after the streaming service’s recent price hike in August. But I’m convinced this change is similar to HBO Max’s rebrand, and that it’s just needlessly confusing.
Streaming services are confusing enough already
There are so many options out there when it comes to streaming services. A major criticism people have is that there’s too much choice – for instance, there are countless add-on channels for places like Prime Video. There’s something for everyone whether you’re a horror fan, a cinephile, or you want reality TV, for example.
Considering there’s so much choice, isn’t it best to keep things simple? I was equally as frustrated when Max rebranded to HBO Max, instead of always keeping the HBO brand in the name to make it clear what it was offering.
Apple TV finds itself in a similar predicament. By dropping the plus symbol, they’ve now ended up with three different products all under the same name.
The TV app, streaming service and physical Apple TV 4K device now all share the same name. It was far simpler to refer to the streaming service as Apple TV+ because it made for a clear distinction.
Of course, further changes could be coming to make things easier to identify. But the new name still feels confusing in the interim and I think things would’ve stayed simpler if they’d kept their original branding.
Apple TV+ is already a well-known name with award-winning hits like Severance and The Studio, and this name change feels like it’s just going to frustrate people more than anything else. Hopefully they do decide to make things clearer going forward.
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