Apple TV Plus Name Change: Eddy Cue Explains Why It’s Not Confusing
▼ Summary
– Apple TV+ has been renamed to Apple TV, with the company’s senior vice president stating it was the right moment for this change.
– The decision was collective within Apple and reflects that the service’s subscription identity is now firmly established.
– Apple added “Plus” originally to maintain consistency with other services like iCloud+ and News+ that have free and paid versions.
– Eddy Cue believes the simplified name won’t cause confusion with Apple TV hardware, which is called Apple TV 4K and distinguished clearly.
– The name change aligns with how consumers already commonly refer to the service as simply Apple TV in everyday usage.
Apple has streamlined the name of its streaming service, now calling it simply Apple TV after dropping the “Plus” suffix. According to Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, the timing felt right for this branding shift. During a recent appearance on The Town podcast with Matt Belloni, Cue explained the reasoning behind the decision, emphasizing that the company collectively agreed the change made sense given the service’s current market position.
Cue noted that Apple initially included “Plus” in the name to align with other subscription offerings like iCloud+ and News+, which use the plus sign to denote a premium, paid tier alongside free versions. However, as the Apple TV service grew more established, the distinction became less necessary. Internally, teams and customers were already referring to it as Apple TV, so formalizing the shorter name felt like a natural progression.
The company believes the simplified name will not create confusion with Apple TV hardware, which is marketed as Apple TV 4K. Cue pointed out that the Apple TV app has long carried the same name on third-party devices, making the transition straightforward for users. He expressed confidence that people easily distinguish between the physical device and the streaming application.
Interestingly, Cue’s podcast visit mirrored a recent crossover involving the host. Earlier this year, Belloni appeared as himself in The Studio, an Apple TV original series. Now, the tables turned as Cue joined Belloni’s show to discuss streaming and branding strategies. The full conversation, including these naming insights, is available in the latest episode of The Town.
(Source: 9to5 Mac)
