I've been on the Apple TV train since the service launched in 2019, then called Apple TV Plus, intrigued by what a streaming service exclusively devoted to original programming might have to offer. While the streamer existed as a secondary service for a while, the past year has seen Apple TV become an essential player in the streaming game.
Apple TV occupied an interesting space for its first few years of existence, touting big-budget shows with equally big names attached, including "The Morning Show," "For All Mankind," "Dickinson," and "See" at launch. But a limited library without an externally licensed catalog of content is a tough sell, at least when it comes to making a must-have service that viewers feel the need to remain subscribed to month after month.
The added competition of services like Disney Plus, HBO Max, Peacock, and Paramount Plus (launched less than two weeks later in 2019, 2020, 2020, and 2021, respectively) only made things trickier, since all stem from parent companies with enormous film and TV back catalogs, such as Warner Bros. and NBCUniversal.
COVID-era hits like "Ted Lasso" helped bolster the platform's reputation, but in the past couple of years, Apple TV has carved out a definitive niche and identity for itself. The past year, specifically, has made it a real standout among the best streaming services, even dethroning Netflix as my top pick for original series.
Apple TV's library is vast, but its sci-fi series are what stand out
While Apple TV's offerings are pretty wide-ranging in terms of genres (and often occupy a genre-blending space), the streaming service has developed a particularly strong reputation for science fiction. Among all the series it launched with, "For All Mankind" is most representative of the streamer's ethos. The alternative history drama takes place in a world where the Soviet Union beat the United States to becoming the first to put a man on the moon, spurring a more intense, decade-spanning space race that posits what could be possible with global commitment to science and exploration.
The (excellent) series is one of the two shows that Apple TV debuted with that are still ongoing, with a sixth and final season scheduled for next year. "Star City," a "For All Mankind" spinoff focusing on the Soviet Union's perspective rather than NASA's, just premiered.
The streaming service is a boon for science fiction fans, but prestige and sometimes stealthy enough to win over sci-fi skeptics. While shows like "Foundation," "Silo," "Murderbot," "Invasion," "Dark Matter," and later seasons of "For All Mankind" might lean into harder and more traditional sci-fi, some of the service's most popular programming lives in a soft sci-fi and speculative fiction space, with "Severance" and "Pluribus" reaching water-cooler status (Apple TV shared part-way through its first season that the latter, from "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan, became the most-watched show in the streaming service's history).
In "Pluribus," a grieving misanthrope attempts to save the world after an alien virus joins the rest of humanity (minus about a dozen others) in a perpetually peppy hive mind. In "Severance," workers at a mysterious biotech company choose to undergo a procedure that splits their consciousness into two separate pieces: a new consciousness that is their at-work "innie" and their original "outie" selves — both without memories of the other. Many of Apple TV's best shows pit incredibly human emotions and situations up against technological extremes, surveillance, and other invasive species.
Outside of sci-fi, Apple TV also has some winners in the comedy and thriller categories
It's not just sci-fi, though. Apple TV has launched several other prestige series, most recently Season 2 of the Jon Hamm-helmed "Your Friends and Neighbors," the Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer-led "Margo's Got Money Troubles," and the horror-comedy hit "Widow's Bay." "Slow Horses," a British spy series, has become one of the platform's most reliable shows. It's killing it in the traditional comedy scene, too. "Ted Lasso" alone earned the streamer 13 Emmy Awards. "The Studio," Apple TV's Seth Rogen-helmed inside baseball spin on the goings-on of a Hollywood studio, has been cleaning up at the Emmys and Golden Globes recently.
Its TV track record is impressive, mimicking HBO Sunday nights in its heyday. The streamer is leaning into this, going all in on its "Pluribus" FYC campaign and debuting a can't-miss limited series version of "Cape Fear" next week, with a killer trailer that has all the trappings of an old-school paranoia thriller. (In a just world, these shows will help Rhea Seehorn and Amy Adams nab some long-overdue Emmy Awards.)
Perhaps the most common thread among Apple TV shows is that, for the most part, they're just good. They're compelling, well-made, and mostly wholly original (despite the exhausting onslaught of regurgitated IP that has swept the streaming landscape). Adaptations and remakes are tasteful and not the majority of the service's programming.
Even its "meh" shows are still pretty solid (I'm convinced that the twisty "Imperfect Women" would clean up if it were streaming on Hulu, and the canceled "Palm Royale" was an entertaining romp that could've gone on for several more seasons). Apple's original movies are a little more hit-or-miss, blending acclaimed films such as "Killers of the Flower Moon" and "F1" with offerings like "Argylle" and "The Family Plan 2," but the TV selection makes up for this.
While the increasingly large catalog of hit originals has helped define the streaming service, its recent live sports streaming acquisitions have helped make it truly competitive in an increasingly crowded streaming market. Apple already had the global rights to MLS matches, but starting this season, it did away with the extra MLS Season Pass (and its associated fees) and folded all matches into a standard subscription. The streamer has had exclusive rights to MLB games for its Friday Night Baseball MLB offerings since 2022, but it upped its game when it nabbed the US Formula 1 broadcast rights (previously on ESPN) starting this year.
A few other moves have proven Apple TV is truly playing ball, including participating in the time-honored streaming tradition of Black Friday deals this past year, offering a discounted bundling opportunity with Peacock, licensing select stray non-Apple programming, and quietly rebranding from Apple TV Plus to Apple TV.
Streaming services get more expensive every year, but Apple TV remains one of the cheapest
But Apple TV's greatest asset right now may simply be that it's still pretty cheap compared to its ad-free competitors. There's only one tier — ad-free — which goes for $13 a month following a price hike in August 2025 (the streamer's first cost increase since 2023). With Netflix's Premium tier hitting $27 a month, Apple's service is a significant standout in a pricey streaming ecosystem, even if it's missing an expansive catalog.
After years of steadily growing its collection of originals, you now get a lot of (quality) bang for your buck with Apple TV, especially given the recent live sports options and the clip at which the streamer is dropping new hit TV shows. I make a living evaluating and writing about streaming services, and — while the industry is perpetually evolving, profitability is always a question, and a CEO change is on the horizon for Apple, so there's no telling exactly what the streamer's future might hold — Apple TV has been the most impressive option on the market over the past year.
Apple TV may have a limited lineup compared to the more established services, but it's less expensive than other ad-free services and offers a growing selection of critically acclaimed series you can't stream anywhere else. The service also carries select movies and live sports, including MLS matches and Formula 1 races
You can learn more about Apple TV in our Apple TV guide or directly on the Apple TV website.
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