You need Apple TV Plus on your Android: Here's why

There are many great streaming services out there, including Netflix, Disney+, HBO, etc. But Apple TV Plus is a streaming service that is well-known for producing the best content. Despite being available for five years, Apple TV Plus has not become as popular as Tim Cook hoped when he launched the streaming service in 2019.




A recent report from Bloomberg said Apple is cutting costs to contain losses on TV Plus after spending billions on it, but we think the company could reap the benefits and make it more sustainable by bringing its streaming service to competing platforms, particularly Android.

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Current state of Apple TV Plus

It doesn't seem good

A scene from a movie "Ted Lasso" Blurred background

Source: Apple


While the Apple TV Plus service may sound relatively new, it's been almost five years since its launch. Ted Lasso, Morning Showand Severance payThe streaming service has struggled to attract users since the release of Star Wars: Episode I: The Last Jedi, which features Hollywood A-listers such as Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Aniston. Let's not forget that Apple signed a massive 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with MLS to exclusively stream the series in 2022.

Despite all this money being poured into Apple TV Plus, the service reportedly only reaches 0.2% of U.S. TV viewers. By comparison, Apple TV Plus receives fewer viewers per month than Netflix does per day. This is a concern for Apple, which has spent over $20 billion on content and Ted Lasso As the most-watched streaming show of 2023, the company is lagging behind in the streaming game. Despite having some of the best content, Apple TV Plus is clearly not very appealing to consumers.


Reasons for Apple TV Plus's slowing growth

There are a few reasons why Apple TV Plus hasn't caught on

Samsung 55-inch The Frame Tizen Smart TV

Source: Best Buy

Like most things, there's no single reason why Apple TV Plus is not a success and is losing so much money — there are many factors. While it's common for new streaming services to spend money initially to acquire customers, Apple TV Plus is overspending on everything from casting to production to marketing.

Hollywood stars and directors know that Apple has deep pockets and they take advantage of them: Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, for example, reportedly make $2 million per episode. Morning Showthe cost of a new episode is Severance pay Revenues per episode have soared to more than $20 million. Apple has also signed megastars like Lionel Messi and Billie Eilish and is spending heavily on marketing. Nevertheless, Apple continues to lose money for two main reasons.


Firstly, Apple only offers an ad-free plan for $9.99 per month, and while services like Netflix and Disney+ have increased their minimum plans to $15.49 and $13.99 per month (for ad-free plans), Apple still offers lower prices than other streaming services.

Netflix Kids displayed on a Pixel 8 Pro

This lack of revenue is even more striking when you consider that Apple TV Plus doesn't offer apps for Android or Windows. While Apple does offer apps for Google TV, Amazon's Fire TV OS, and Samsung's Tizen OS for smart TVs, it doesn't yet have a dedicated app for Android smartphones and tablets.


The only way to access Apple TV Plus on an Android phone or tablet is via the official website, which is less than ideal compared to platforms like Disney+ or Netflix: While every other major service offers a dedicated app for Android, Apple does not, meaning Apple is missing out on a potential audience of 3.9 billion Android users worldwide.

What does it mean for Apple TV Plus to be available on Android?

It's a win-win situation

The mountain of flagship Android devices for 2023

Offering a dedicated Apple TV Plus app on Android would broaden the company's target audience, increase visibility of its content, and significantly increase revenue. Even if the company only has access to a small portion of the Android user base, it would still be able to generate significant revenue through its streaming service, making it more sustainable than it is today. It would also give Android users access to the best content available for streaming. It's a win-win situation for both Apple and Android users.


The lack of availability of Apple TV Plus on Android is all the more puzzling since Apple Music is available on Android. Still, it seems Apple is paying attention. Recent reports suggest that an Apple TV Plus Android app is in the works, but there's been no official confirmation from the company. We expect the streaming service to come to Android soon, and given its content, it could be one of the best streaming apps on the platform.

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