Apple TV+ Not Enjoying Bump In Subscribers Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

KEY POINTS

Data shows that Apple TV+ isn't enjoying an increase in the number of people subscribing
This is amid the increase in the number of people subscribing to streaming services amid COVID-19
There is increased demand for its original programming, however

Data reveals that Apple's TV subscription service, Apple TV+, isn't seeing a rise in the number of subscribers even with people staying at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people everywhere to stay at home for their own safety. One would normally expect that because of this, subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) companies will see an increase in the number of people subscribing to their platforms and watching their shows.

Research data shows that while certain SVOD services like Disney+ and Hulu have seen myriads of people subscribing to their services amid the pandemic, Apple TV+ hasn't. According to data from research company Antenna (via Business Insider), Apple TV+ is the only subscription service that hasn't seen a major increase in the number of subscribers.

Antenna, which uses data gleaned from anonymized transactional data, like credit card transactions, compared the number of sign-ups in March and April, when the COVID-19 guidelines were implemented, to February, before the guidelines were implemented. The research company discovered that there was no big difference in the number of sign-ups during those periods.

This is very different from what TV analytics firm EDO found in a recent survey conducted between March 24 to 28. According to that survey, which involved more than 6,800 households in the U.S., Disney+ and Hulu gained more subscribers compared to Netflix and Apple TV+.

A fifth of the survey respondents said they had subscribed to a new service since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Twenty-nine percent had subscribed to Disney+, 21% subscribed to Hulu, and around 15% subscribed to Netflix. Only less than 10% subscribed to Apple TV+.

It's not all that bad

Data from another analytics company, however, showed that it's not all that bad for Apple. According to Parrot Analytics, there is an increase in demand for Apple TV+'s original shows.

“The impact the pandemic is having on audience demand has certainly helped Apple TV Plus so far,” Steve Langdon, Parrot Analytics partnerships director, told Business Insider.

Langdon added that one particular Apple TV+ original, “Defending Jacob,” starring Chris Evans, had been a “breakout hit” for the platform.