A few years ago, Netflix felt unstoppable. Everyone around me was talking about the latest Netflix obsession — from Stranger Things to Bridgerton — and the phrase “Netflix and chill” wasn’t just a meme, it was practically a lifestyle. I was on that train too, spending late nights clicking “Next Episode” until the red “N” was permanently etched into my brain.
But then, something changed.
Somewhere between my fourth binged thriller series and yet another “quirky group of strangers with secrets” drama, I realised Netflix was starting to feel… the same. The hooks felt familiar, the pacing predictable. I was watching out of habit rather than excitement.
That’s when I decided to try Apple TV+.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting much. Compared to Netflix’s towering library, Apple TV+ looked tiny — but then I started Severance, followed by Ted Lasso. And suddenly, I was hooked in a different way. These weren’t just shows to pass the time; they felt intentional. Severance was unlike anything I’d seen before, and Ted Lasso had this warmth and heart that made me want to slow down and savour it.
The Bigger Picture: Netflix Still Reigns — For Now
Let’s be clear: Netflix is still the giant in the room.
It has nearly 282 million subscribers worldwide and holds about 20–21% of the U.S. streaming market share, tied with Amazon Prime Video for the top spot. Netflix’s originals dominate global viewing charts — in 2024, Bridgerton alone racked up 21.4 billion minutes of watch time. No Apple TV+ show has come close to those numbers yet.
Quality Over Quantity
Apple TV+’s “boutique” approach shows in its awards cabinet. Ted Lasso alone has won multiple Emmys, while Severance has swept up critics’ awards and Golden Globes. Netflix has its prestige hits too (The Crown, Stranger Things), but its sheer volume means it’s also home to a lot of forgettable filler.
And honestly, that’s part of why Apple TV+ feels fresh to me. With Netflix, I scroll endlessly. With Apple TV+, I open the app already knowing what I’m going to watch — and more often than not, it’s something worth remembering.
Where This Is Going
Will Apple TV+ ever dethrone Netflix? Not anytime soon. Netflix still dominates in numbers, cultural reach, and sheer output. But Apple TV+ doesn’t have to be bigger to be important. It’s carving out a space for itself — the home of quality over quantity, where each new release feels like an event.
Apple TV+: Small but Growing Fast
But here’s the thing — Apple TV+ is gaining ground.
It’s a much smaller service, with an estimated 45 million subscribers worldwide and only around 300 original titles, but it’s growing steadily. In the UK, it had the fastest subscriber growth of any major platform in early 2025. The release of Severance Season 2 saw a 126% spike in new sign-ups. Churn rates (people cancelling) are low too — just 7% in early 2025, meaning people tend to stick around once they subscribe.
And critically, Apple TV+ is playing a different game. While Netflix floods the zone with hundreds of originals a year, Apple focuses on fewer, carefully curated shows. That means when you click play on an Apple TV+ series, there’s a good chance it’s going to be good — in fact, Apple’s shows have the highest average IMDb ratings of any major streamer.
For me, it’s become the place I go when I want something different, something crafted with care. In a streaming world crowded with content, that’s a pretty compelling reason to keep watching.
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