Apple TV is Apple’s acclaimed streaming service subscription. Over six years, Apple original films, documentaries, and series have amassed 640 wins and 2,872 nominations. Therefore, it’s reasonable to conclude that major shows like “The Morning Show,” “Ted Lasso,” “Foundation,” and others contribute significantly to Apple TV subscriptions.
Nevertheless, Bloomberg indicates that sports have been the key factor behind new subscribers for Apple TV. Utilizing data from Antenna, the publication demonstrates that Major League Baseball attracted more sign-ups for the streaming platform than popular series like “The Morning Show” and “Your Friends & Neighbors.”
From April to September, Major League Baseball games were the primary source of subscriptions. For instance, the Dodgers vs. Yankees game in May generated 722K new subscribers, followed by Yankees vs. Phillies in July (698K), and Phillies vs. Mets in June (631K). In comparison, the comeback of “The Morning Show” attracted over 524K subscribers.
Apple TV could achieve even greater success by 2026.
With Apple maintaining its partnership with Major League Baseball and also offering Major League Soccer for free, this will certainly make the $12.99/month subscription more appealing. Furthermore, Apple may benefit from a surge of interest in soccer due to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Additionally, Apple recently declared its status as the official Formula 1 partner in the U.S., providing some content for free, including selected races and all practices. Consequently, it is highly probable that sports will continue to enhance subscriptions throughout 2026.
With Major League Baseball games delivering hundreds of thousands of subscriptions over the analyzed months, another significant contributor was Apple Original’s Stick (over 443K new subscribers), featuring Owen Wilson as a former renowned golf player mentoring a newcomer. BGR will keep you updated as we discover more about Apple’s efforts to enhance its sports offerings, along with other updates regarding the streaming service.
