Apple’s streaming service has been renamed. In updated press materials stapled to an announcement for its feature film F1 The Movie, the company unveiled “a new, colorful look”—and appellation—while also noting that Apple TV+ is now just Apple TV.
The phrasing crops up in the press release several times, including multiple instances of saying “Apple TV,” and also a line about how “Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app.” Some storefronts and support pages may continue to show the “+” as assets transition, but the brand call is unambiguous: lose the plus.
What to Call It Now: Service, App, and Device Names
If you mean the paid streaming service that has shows such as Ted Lasso, Severance and Silo, call it Apple TV. On phones, tablets, smart TVs and game consoles, the app continues to be called the Apple TV app. The set-top box is Apple TV 4K. In other words, you can watch Apple TV in the Apple TV app on an Apple TV 4K — awkward, but correct.
To avoid confusion in conversation or copy, many editors will refer to it as “Apple TV streaming service” on first reference and shorten to Apple TV upon further references. Apple itself usually refers to the software and device as the “Apple TV app” and “Apple TV 4K.”
Why Drop the Plus from Apple’s Streaming Service
“Plus” swept the industry as shorthand for a paid tier or premium add-on — Disney+, ESPN+, endless media offshoots. Apple uses the suffix where there is a baseline (iCloud, iCloud+, News, News+). TV never had a free tier, so the “+” only served to muddy an already murky Apple TV naming family as opposed to clarifying it.
When services mature, brand strategists frequently guide companies toward simplified, master-brand nomenclature. We’ve seen other major swings elsewhere, from CBS All Access to Paramount+ and HBO Max reducing itself to Max. Results vary, but the throughline remains a familiar one: fewer syllables equals stronger recall and space for sub-brands to cluster under one umbrella.
What Users Should Expect During the Rebranding
Functionally, nothing about your subscription, library or watchlist will change. Anticipate some gradual updates to on-screen logos, app badges and marketing copy as Apple flips the switch across platforms and partners. Search results may appear jumbled for some time in the transition, as searches include Apple TV and Apple TV+.
The shift does not mark a pivot in content. Apple is still positioning its catalog as premium and relatively curated compared to the huge libraries of its rivals. The announcement also refers to separate price increases, though Apple has raised service fees over time; the rebranding by itself is not an indication that there will be a new fee or bundle.
Market Context and Strategy Behind the Name Change
With fewer originals, Apple’s programming punches above its weight. The service nabbed a Best Picture Oscar with CODA, and collected dozens of Emmys for series such as Ted Lasso and The Morning Show, according to the Television Academy. Apple’s originals are regularly among the top-performing series across all streaming services, according to Parrot Analytics; in other words: hit-driven.
As a percentage of the whole, according to estimates from JustWatch and Ampere Analysis, the Apple service still remains at single digits in the U.S., trailing Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Hulu. That gulf is an expression of scale and library depth more than brand acumen. A simpler name would be useful: it’s shorter, more memorable and jibes with the Apple TV app where most viewers will actually press play.
Apple also enjoys the advantage of ecosystem proximity, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K and an increasing number of third-party smart TVs. Focusing the service and app under a single anchor term would reduce friction for casual viewers who don’t keep track of suffixes and sub-brands.
How to Write About the Brand Without Confusion
To keep the style consistent, refer to the company’s streaming service as Apple TV in the first mention and as “the Apple TV app” for the software and Apple TV 4K when referring to hardware. Skip the retired Apple TV+ unless quoting legacy pieces or historical references.
Bottom Line on Apple TV’s Naming and Rollout
The plus is gone. Apple’s streaming service is Apple TV, end of story. Look for a subdued rollout of new logos and labels, mild confusion during the transition period and then a cleaner brand that is more in tune with your habits of yanking out your remote control to find something to watch.
