Apple TV+ Is Now Apple TV — And That Might Cause Confusion

Apple quietly announced that its streaming service Apple TV+ will now be called simply Apple TV. The change appeared at the end of a press release about the company’s F1 movie (which lands on the service December 12) and was described as a “vibrant new identity.”

While the rename aligns with Apple’s preference for minimal branding, it also creates immediate ambiguity: Apple TV refers to a device, an app and now the subscription service. Apple’s press release even notes promotional language such as “purchase an Apple TV to get three months of Apple TV for free,” which reads as confusing on first glance.

• Announcement method: tucked into an F1 movie press release rather than a standalone marketing push.
• Customer confusion risk: device (Apple TV), app (Apple TV app) and service (now Apple TV) share a single name.
• Rolling rollout: Apple’s site and the App Store still show references to “Apple TV+,” so the change is not fully live yet.

There are precedents in the streaming industry for messy rebrands — from HBO Max becoming Max (and back) to Disney streamlining Star into Hulu internationally — and Apple’s move fits that trend of simplification that can sometimes backfire.

If you use the Apple TV app you’ll still find content that isn’t part of Apple TV (the subscription), including third-party purchases and channels that may require separate payments. Apple also noted you can buy the F1 movie on Apple TV today through the Apple TV app if you don’t want to wait for its global streaming debut.

You can read the original coverage here: Engadget: Apple TV is now just Apple TV.

Discussion: Do you think removing the “+” will make Apple’s streaming lineup clearer — or will it just add to the brand confusion between devices, apps and services?