Apple has officially dropped the “plus.” The company announced that its streaming service Apple TV+ has been renamed simply Apple TV, marking the first major rebrand since the platform’s 2019 debut. The update appeared quietly in a press release for ‘F1 The Movie‘, where Apple wrote, “Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity.”
It’s a small change on paper but a curious one in timing. Launched six years ago to compete with Netflix and Disney+, Apple TV+ built its name around clean storytelling and original programming like Ted Lasso, Severance, and CODA. Now, Apple seems to be stepping away from the streaming-era naming trend that once defined the market. The “plus” that used to mean premium now feels passé, a relic of the early 2020s when every new service needed a “+” to sound relevant.
Apple hasn’t yet revealed what this “vibrant new identity” actually looks like. The Apple TV website and apps still show the familiar Apple TV+ branding, suggesting that new visuals and marketing might be on the way. Still, this feels more like a philosophical shift than a cosmetic one. Maybe Apple’s saying it doesn’t need a “plus” to sound complete anymore.
There’s irony here, of course. Apple’s TV ecosystem has always been tangled; there’s the Apple TV hardware, the Apple TV app, and now, just Apple TV the service. It’s a naming circle only Apple could create, and perhaps only Apple could simplify by making everything share the same title. It’s both smart and confusing, depending on how you look at it.
But maybe that’s the point. The company has spent years tightening its ecosystem, blending devices, services, and content into one seamless experience. Dropping the “plus” might be less about branding and more about confidence, the kind that comes from no longer needing to prove your place in the streaming race. It’s a little like Facebook quietly removing “the” from its name years ago. Not flashy, just decisive.
For now, the price remains $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial, and three months free for new device owners. The service is available on over one billion screens worldwide, spanning iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, smart TVs, and game consoles. The visuals might not have changed yet, but the message is clear: Apple wants Apple TV to mean everything in one place, the screen, the app, and the story.
4 comments