Apple TV+ facts for kids
 |
|
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Key people |
|
| Type | OTT streaming platform |
| Launch date | November 2019 |
| Platform(s) |
|
| Members | 45 million (est., as of 2025[update]) |
| Pricing model |
|
Apple TV+ is a popular online video service from Apple. It lets you watch movies and TV shows over the internet, like other streaming services. Apple TV+ started on November 1, 2019. It offers many original movies and TV series, which are called "Apple Originals."
Apple first announced this service at a special event in March 2019. Famous people like Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, and Steven Spielberg were there. You can watch Apple TV+ on Apple's website or through the Apple TV app. This app works on many Apple devices, smart TVs, and even video game consoles. As of 2025, Apple TV+ has over 45 million paid members.
Apple has worked to make the service available in many countries. It's also part of the Apple One subscription bundle, which includes other Apple services. Most of the shows and movies on Apple TV+ have high-quality video and sound. When it first launched, Apple TV+ was available in about 100 countries. Because Apple creates its own content for the service, it doesn't have to worry about licensing issues when expanding to new places.
In its early days, Apple TV+ had fewer subscribers compared to other services. To attract more viewers, Apple started adding older TV shows and movies in mid-2020. Since then, Apple TV+ has become known for its award-winning content. For example, the show Ted Lasso won a top Emmy Award for best comedy series. The movie CODA won the Academy Award for Best Picture, which was a first for a streaming service. Many famous actors and producers have also signed deals to create more projects for Apple TV+.
Contents
What is Apple TV+?
Apple TV+ is a streaming service where you can watch exclusive movies and TV shows. It's owned by Apple, the same company that makes iPhones and Macs. Unlike some other services, Apple TV+ mainly focuses on its own original content. This means you can only watch these shows and movies on Apple TV+.
How Apple TV+ Started
Apple had been interested in starting a streaming service for a long time. In 2015, they talked with different TV studios about offering a bundle of live TV channels. However, those talks didn't work out.
In 2016, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that TV was very important to Apple. He mentioned that they were starting to create their own original content. He saw this as a great chance for Apple to both create and own its own shows.
Building the Team
In 2017, Apple began building its new TV team. They hired Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, who used to lead Sony Pictures Television. They were put in charge of all worldwide video programming for Apple. After that, Apple hired many other talented people to work on the service. This included experts in creative development, international projects, kids' programming, and documentaries.
Announcing the Service
In 2018, news reports said that Apple was planning to launch a video service. It would offer both original content and subscriptions to other video services directly through the Apple TV app. The service was expected to launch in the U.S. in early 2019 and then expand to about 100 countries.
On March 25, 2019, Apple officially announced Apple TV+. They showed previews of upcoming original shows and movies. Actors and producers involved in these projects appeared on stage. Some of the announced content included a new series from Sesame Workshop (the creators of Sesame Street) and projects from Oprah Winfrey.
On September 10, 2019, Apple announced that Apple TV+ would launch on November 1. It would cost $4.99 per month, and up to six family members could share one account. Apple also offered a free one-year subscription to anyone who bought a new Apple TV, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. Students who subscribed to Apple Music at a discounted rate also received Apple TV+ for free.
Apple extended the free one-year subscriptions multiple times. However, starting in June 2021, new users who qualified for a free subscription received only three months instead of a year. In October 2022, Apple increased the monthly price of Apple TV+ to $6.99 and the annual plan to $69.
What You Can Watch
Apple TV+ features many well-known writers, directors, and stars in its shows and movies. This was done to attract many viewers to the service.
New Shows and Movies
When Apple TV+ launched, it had eight original series and one original documentary. Apple planned to release new original content every month. Most series started with three episodes, and then a new episode was released each week. However, some series released all their episodes at once.
Early reviews for some of the shows were mixed. But many people thought Apple would improve its content over time. The free year offered with Apple products helped people try the service and hopefully become paying subscribers as new shows were released.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Apple stopped filming new shows for a while. To keep viewers engaged, Apple started buying rights to existing older movies and TV shows. This helped fill the time while new original content was being made. For example, Apple bought the movie Greyhound starring Tom Hanks and Emancipation starring Will Smith.
Sports on Apple TV+
Apple TV+ also offers live sports. In March 2022, Apple announced Friday Night Baseball. This is a weekly doubleheader of Major League Baseball (MLB) games with pre- and post-game shows. It's available in several countries, including the United States and Canada.
In June 2022, Apple also gained the global streaming rights for Major League Soccer (MLS) games starting in the 2023 season. All regular season and playoff matches are available on MLS Season Pass, which is a separate subscription. However, Apple TV+ subscribers can watch some games for free and get a discount on MLS Season Pass.
Classic Shows and Movies
In mid-2020, Apple began adding older, previously released movies and TV shows to its service. This was a change from its original plan to only offer new, original content. The goal was to compete better with services that have large libraries of content, like Netflix. Adding popular older shows and movies helps keep subscribers interested while Apple continues to create new original content.
One of the first older shows Apple acquired was Fraggle Rock. Apple TV+ became the exclusive home for the original series and also developed a new Fraggle Rock series. In October 2020, Apple also gained the exclusive rights to various animated Peanuts specials. This meant classic holiday specials like A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas moved to Apple TV+. After fans expressed concern, Apple made these specials available for free on PBS for a short time each year. In March 2024, Apple also made 51 classic films available under a "Great Movies" collection.
How Apple TV+ Has Grown
Apple has made many efforts to increase its number of subscribers.
Getting More Viewers
Apple TV+ is included in several discounted bundles, like the Apple Music student bundle and the Apple One subscription package. Apple has also partnered with cable and mobile companies to offer Apple TV+ to their customers, sometimes even including an Apple TV 4K device.
By February 2020, about 10 million people had signed up for Apple TV+. This included those who received a free trial with an Apple device purchase. Apple has also made the Apple TV app available on more devices, including smart TVs and newer PlayStation and Xbox video game consoles. In February 2021, the Apple TV app became available on Chromecast with Google TV and some Android TV models. In February 2025, the Apple TV+ app became available to download from Google Play on Android mobile devices.
In January 2025, Apple TV+ offered its service for free for the first weekend of the year to increase awareness worldwide. In October 2024, Amazon announced that Apple TV+ would be available as an add-on subscription on Amazon Prime Video in the United States.
Big Awards and Achievements
Apple TV+ has received many awards and nominations. In 2021, the show Ted Lasso won four Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series.
Apple TV+ made history by being the first streaming service to win the Academy Award for Best Picture with the movie CODA at the 94th Academy Awards. As of March 2022, it was estimated to have 25 million paid subscribers.
At the 96th Academy Awards, Apple Films received a record-breaking 14 Oscar nominations for its movies Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon. This was the second time an Apple film was nominated for Best Picture. Apple has also started releasing its movies in theaters, showing its interest in competing with traditional movie studios.
See also
In Spanish: Apple TV+ para niños
