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.
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
