Apple’s services division had a monster year in 2025, but it’s the performance of Apple TV that stands out, not just for its creative wins, but for its growing strategic importance in Cupertino’s broader services push.
According to a company memo from services head Eddy Cue, Apple TV saw a 36% year-over-year jump in total hours viewed in December, its biggest month ever. The surge was led by the premiere of Pluribus, described as Apple TV’s “biggest series to date,” the global streaming debut of F1, and seasonal interest in A Charlie Brown Christmas. That growth also underscores the platform’s momentum in Europe and Latin America, with expansion continuing in the U.S.
Cue framed the gains as part of a “record-breaking year” for Apple’s sprawling services empire, which now includes everything from TV and Music to iCloud, Apple Pay, and Apple News. Apple Music also hit all-time highs for both listenership and new subscribers, though, in typical Apple fashion, no specific metrics were shared publicly.
Critically, Apple is still keeping quiet on subscriber counts or other hard KPIs for Apple TV. But internally, the streamer is being positioned as a major player, bolstered by:
- The Studio, which became the most-awarded freshman comedy at the Emmys
- Severance, which ended in 2025 as the most-awarded drama
- The Family Plan 2 and sports titles like F1, which helped expand Apple TV’s global appeal
Apple’s sports ambitions also escalated in 2025. In addition to the F1 feature film, now the highest-grossing sports movie ever, the company signed a five-year deal to stream every Formula 1 race exclusively in the U.S. The MLS partnership continues into 2026, showing that Apple’s live sports strategy is far from a one-off.
Beyond TV, Cue revealed that the App Store now sees 850 million weekly users, developers have earned over $550 billion since 2008, and Apple Pay has driven $100 billion in incremental merchant sales while eliminating $1 billion in fraud.
All of this feeds into Apple One, the company’s cross-service bundle that aims to drive loyalty across TV, Music, Arcade, and storage. Recent bundling experiments, including a partnership with Chase and a unique TV tie-in with Peacock, suggest Apple is testing ways to grow Apple TV’s reach further.
The company still isn’t talking about how many people subscribe to Apple TV. But in terms of engagement, creative hits, and high-impact IP, it’s clear Apple TV is no longer a side project. It’s becoming the centerpiece.
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