I got a year of Apple TV+ just for getting a new Apple device. If you cancel early, you cancel for good. I put a reminder on my calendar to cancel at the end of a trial. I have yet to even attempt to watch anything because of poor reviews and klout.
I remember during the Apple TV+ announcement that Tim Cook was using phrases like "the best stories" and "the best content". I thought it was so arrogant.
I watched the Morning Show on AppleTV+ and enjoyed it. I also watched the Homes series, which I really enjoyed. But, this is just a "free with iDevice purchase" kind of thing.
I think there's a place for Apple to get this right. They have a music streaming service that makes sense. They're a major player in the podcast space. They've long sold digital music, TV, and movies. Apple has been in the content game since the early days of the iPod. A properly executed Apple TV+ could fit with their brand.
But you're right, they're fucking up.
To me, Apple's content tends to be way too safe. It's boring. (Or, at least it was boring when I saw it.) If I want straight-down-the-middle-of-American-culture-type content, I already have Disney+ and way too many other choices. If they want to grab my attention, they need to take some risks and/or find their niches.
This is what I appreciate about the other major tech company with a me-too streaming service: Amazon. Prime Video is willing to take risks on weird genre stuff, and some of it is really good. I could never see Apple releasing something like Fleabag or The Boys. That perception is probably why Apple TV+ has been so forgettable. Boring has no place in Apple's branding.
>They have a music streaming service that makes sense. They're a major player in the podcast space. They've long sold digital music, TV, and movies.
The transition from a music store to a music streaming platform made sense. "Hey, you know the music that you could have bought so far? Well, now you can stream it."
Not so much for the movie/TV show business. "Hey, you know the TV shows and movies you could rent and buy? Well, fuck those, we have ten original titles that you should watch instead."
Apple TV+ doesn't feel like it builds on top of the experience and connections made with the movie/TV show renting/selling business. I just opened up the Apple TV application on my iPhone and the What to Watch list is rather sad. First one is USS Greyhound, which might actually be a decent watch. Next one is "Greatness Code", doesn't really look like my cup of tea, but probably it's probably not crap. In third there's "The Gentlemen" - oops, only available for purchase at 13.99 euro!
