Apple TV+ Is Losing Over $1 Billion Annually: Report

Despite offering some of the best programming available, Apple TV+ is reportedly operating at a net loss of over a billion dollars. According to two anonymous sources who spoke with The Information, the company has spent more than $5 billion on creating shows like Severance and Shrinking, but has not matched that with subscriber profits.

Apple TV+ launched in 2019 and has earned a slew of Emmys for shows like Ted Lasso, along with a Best Picture win for 2021’s CODA. Even with the acclaim, estimates position the service as one of the least-subscribed; the latest numbers approximate 45 million people paying for the service, dwarfed by numbers reported by Netflix (300 million) or Disney+ (126 million).

While $1 billion in losses does sound like a shocking number at first, the reputation of the programming might be enough to make up for it — especially when considering that Apple, as a whole, reported nearly $94 billion in total profits in 2024. In a January earnings call, CEO Tim Cook touted the fact that Apple TV+ productions have earned more than 2,500 nominations and 538 wins.

In fact, the service seems to have no plans to change its model, with Ted Lasso already being revived for a fourth season and the ongoing season of Severance generating early awards buzz.

One person who certainly doesn’t count himself among the subscriber base? Severance actor Christopher Walken, who asks for screeners of the show to be sent to him on DVD.