As if teaching your dad the difference between Apple TV and Apple TV+ hadn't been hard enough, Apple’s just gone and made things a whole lot more complicated. In a move that’s already confusing the internet, the company has quietly rebranded its streaming service Apple TV+ as… Apple TV.
The change, announced buried at the bottom of a press release about the streaming release of the Brad Pitt F1 film, is apparently designed to give the platform a “vibrant new identity.” In reality, it feels like someone just deleted a character and called it a day. It comes after HBO Max, which isn't available here in the UK, has also had a few name changes, and after Netflix has started to pull its original content branding.
The problem, of course, is that Apple TV already exists. It’s the name of Apple’s sleek little streaming box that plugs into your television, as well as the Apple TV app, the hub where you can buy and stream shows and films, including, you guessed it, what was once Apple TV+ content. So, to summarise: you can now watch Apple TV on Apple TV through the Apple TV app. Try explaining that to your parents over Christmas.
The timing of the rebrand is curious, too. Industry watchers suspect this could be Apple paving the way for an ad-supported tier, joining Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video in offering cheaper, commercial-packed options. Given that Apple TV+ was the only major streamer without an ad tier and that Apple has quietly hired a raft of advertising execs, it wouldn’t be surprising if the “vibrant new identity” comes with a few ads.
For now, Apple hasn’t fully rolled out the change, with plenty of references to Apple TV+ still lurking on its website and in the App Store. But one thing’s certain: the company famous for simplifying technology has somehow made its naming more complicated than ever.
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