After spending billions of dollars on original programming, Apple TV Plus is finally looking to cut back on production costs — and Netflix might be its biggest inspiration.
A new Bloomberg report has revealed that Apple has spent more than $20 billion on its original Apple TV content, but a lack of cut-through with viewers is making the company rethink its strategy. In regards to its TV lineup, Apple spent more than $500 million on “movies from directors Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott and Matthew Vaughn” alone. Then, even its biggest shows like Severance and Foundation went over budget thanks to unforeseen circumstances. Despite this, and getting 72 Emmy nominations recently, “Few Apple shows have broken through to the wider public.”
A very Netflix problem
Netflix has a much bigger list of titles than Apple TV Plus, and tends to commission more expensive shows and movies. However, I find it much harder to commit to a Netflix TV show than the best shows on Apple TV Plus. This is because Netflix has picked up a reputation for canceling any show that isn’t a smash hit. In the last few years alone, Netflix has canceled popular shows like The OA, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, The Midnight Club, Glow, Mindhunter, Tuca & Bertie, and so much more.
The Bloomberg report continues, noting that Apple “is trying to pay less upfront for shows and is quicker to cancel ones that aren’t working.” Data shows that 100% of Apple TV shows got a third season in 2019, with that number plummeting to 22% by 2021. Futhermore, the average length for a show on Apple TV Plus in 2019 was 3.67 seasons, and this dropped to just 2 in 2021.
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about Apple TV Plus shows is how adventurous they can get. I recently started watching Sunny, a black comedy about a wife who is sent a very helpful robot after the mysterious disappearance of her husband and child, and I’ve been enjoying its tone and atmosphere quite a lot. I have some issues with pacing so far but I’m invested in watching it every week. Though the first episode is charming, I would never have continued watching if it was a Netflix show, as I’m too used to knowing that it could be canceled at any moment. Netflix shows often aren’t allowed to mature into the shows they could be and I hope Apple doesn’t learn the wrong things from Netflix’s business model.
