In a lightning-fast rebranding, quietly hidden in Monday’s press release announcing the December 12 streaming premiere of “F1: The Movie,” the streaming platform has rebranded itself as Apple TV without the + sign.
“Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity,” the company noted nine paragraphs into the release, before pivoting back to the matter at hand. “Ahead of its global streaming debut on Apple TV, the film continues to be available for purchase on participating digital platforms, including the Apple TV app, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home and more.”
Apple TV is available to watch on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens. The rebrand also coincides with a subscription increase to $12.99 per month, up from $9.99 earlier this year.
Of course, Apple offers its set-top box hardware under the Apple TV name, and the Apple TV app is offered across platforms as a hub for Apple TV+ and other content. So offering Apple’s own streaming service under the same name could cause some confusion, and the reason for the change is unclear.
An anonymous report earlier this year found that the company spends about $4.5 billion on content annually and incurs losses of about $1 billion.
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