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State of the Screens

Will More Devices Mean More Streaming For Apple?

By February 3, 2022No Comments

Big news: Apple added 150M new active devices during 2021, bringing their total to 1.8B.

Apple active devices (YoY growth) according to Apple:
1) 2016 – 1.0B
2) 2017 – 1.2B (↑ 15%)
3) 2018 – 1.3B (↑ 13%)
4) 2019 – 1.4B (↑ 8%)
5) 2020 – 1.5B (↑ 7%)
6) 2021 – 1.7B (↑ 10%)
7) 2022 – 1.8B (↑ 9%)

Flashback: Can Ted Lasso Make Audiences Believe…in Apple TV+?

Dive deep: What Does Apple TV+ Mean for Convergent TV?

Big question #1: How many people subscribe to Apple TV+?

Quick answer: Unclear since Apple does not break this number out. The Information recently estimated ≈ 40M.

Quote from Jon Stewart – Host @ The Problem With Jon Stewart:
“Every year thousands of hours of high-quality content go unwatched.  Because good, hard-working people don’t know how to find Apple TV+.”

Big question #2: What events drove new subscribers for Apple TV+?

Quick answer: Greyhound drove 60K subscribers in a single day.

Wow: Apple became the first company to surpass $3T in market capitalization.  Enough to buy Netflix (15X) , Comcast (12X), or Disney (11X)!

Big question #3: What does Apple want to accomplish with Apple TV+?

Quick(ish) answer: First, it is important to understand Apple is playing a completely different game. Apple is the most profitable company and can justify spending $8B on content if it moves the needle even a small amount on its core business. For example, their content spend in 2021 amounted to ≈ 0.6% of company revenue.

Video: Hundreds of iPhones Are in ‘Ted Lasso.’ They’re More Strategic Than You Think.

2022-02-02_17-59-12

More #1: A decade of the Tim Cook machine

 

More #2: Will Success Keep ‘Ted Lasso’ From Sticking to Its Three-Season Plan?

 

More #3: Apple’s privacy changes create windfall for its own advertising business

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.