Apple TV+ rebrands to Apple TV: Severance confusion ahead

If you’ve been struggling to explain the difference between Apple TV and Apple TV+ to your friends and family, hold onto your hats because things just got a whole lot trickier. Apple has quietly rebranded its streaming service, Apple TV+, as simply Apple TV. This name change, tucked away in a press release about a Brad Pitt F1 film release, comes with the promise of a “vibrant new identity.” But let’s be real—it feels more like someone just hit the delete key and called it a day.

What makes this whole situation even murkier is that Apple TV already refers to two things: the streaming box that hooks up to your TV and the Apple TV app. And guess where you watch all that content you used to find on Apple TV+? You guessed it—the Apple TV app. So now you can watch Apple TV shows and movies on Apple TV via the Apple TV app. Try explaining that over Christmas dinner!

The timing of this rebranding is raising some eyebrows, too. Industry experts are speculating that Apple might be gearing up to introduce an ad-supported tier, following in the footsteps of other major streaming services. Given that Apple TV+ was ad-free and Apple has been hiring advertising gurus left and right, it wouldn’t be surprising if the “vibrant new identity” comes with a side of ads.

Apple hasn’t fully completed the rebranding process, with traces of Apple TV+ still lingering on its website and in the App Store. But one thing’s for sure—Apple, known for simplifying technology, seems to have only made things more complicated this time around. So get ready to navigate the world of Apple TV and Apple TV+ on Apple TV through the Apple TV app. And good luck explaining it to your loved ones!