Apple TV+ Becomes… Apple TV: The Most Confusing Rebranding of the Year
Apple appears to be aiming for a more streamlined — or at least unified — streaming ecosystem. In a seemingly innocuous section of a blog post about the release of the film F1: The Movie, the Cupertino company subtly announced that Apple TV+ is changing its name to simply “Apple TV.”
“Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity,” the official publication states.
No further explanation has been provided. Nonetheless, this change could lead to confusion among many users.
You’ll Watch Apple TV on the Apple TV App on Your Apple TV
Yes, you read that right. The new name for the streaming service will match that of the streaming app and the brand’s media player.
As a result, it will soon be possible to “watch Apple TV, in the Apple TV app, on your Apple TV.”
It’s hard to get more meta than that.
This decision echoes Apple’s trend of simplifying its lines by harmonizing product names: Music, Arcade, News, Fitness+, and now simply TV. The intention is clear — to consolidate all video entertainment products under one banner.
However, from a practical standpoint, it poses a marketing headache: how do you differentiate the service from the hardware or app without resorting to circumlocution?
A Simplification Attempt (Perhaps Too Simplified)
Behind this decision, Apple seems to aim for a more streamlined brand for its streaming service. Since its launch in 2019, Apple TV+ has always struggled with some ambiguity — caught between the hardware (the Apple TV 4K), the app (available on iOS, macOS, and Smart TVs), and the online service.
By dropping the “+”, Apple is likely seeking to enhance the visual and semantic coherence of its offering, even if it temporarily confuses users.
This move can be viewed as aligning with Apple’s “clean branding” strategy that it applies to other products: fewer symbols, no embellishments — just a clear name and a minimalist design.
No (Yet) Price Increase in Sight
The company has made no announcements regarding pricing. A hike seems unlikely in the short term, as Apple already raised the price of its service last August.
However, we’ll have to wait for the next press conference or app update to determine if this visual overhaul will come with a commercial revamp.
The colorful logo seen in iOS 26.1 could herald the beginning of this new era. Apple’s usual minimalism gives way to a lighter and more vibrant visual style, likely to distinguish the brand from the eponymous hardware.
The rebranding is expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks across all platforms — iPhone, iPad, macOS, and Smart TVs.
