Major streaming service to change its name in complete rebrand

The streaming wars are still raging in the background, and while Netflix rules supreme as cock of the walk, that hasn't stopped several plucky upstarts from coming for the crown.

Even though Netflix remains largely untouchable, the likes of Amazon, Disney, HBO, and Apple all deliver their own stellar lineup of original shows and movies. It makes it somewhat frustrating when deciding which streaming service makes the cut, because let's be honest, who's really affording to pay for them all every month? Whether it's dipping back into Amazon's Prime Video for The Boys, Disney+ for Alien: Earth, or HBO for The Last of Us, we won't judge you if you're piggybacking off someone else's account – just don't tell Netflix.

One underrated streaming giant comes courtesy of Apple, with AppleTV+ boasting the likes of Ted Lasso, Silo, The Morning Show, and more.

Many of you will know about AppleTV+ because of Severance (and the achingly long wait between seasons), but with reports that the service loses around $1 billion a year, it seems Apple is giving things a rebrand.

There were already calls for the typical boycott over a recent AppleTV+ price hike, but keen to move on from that drama, the tech giant has bizarrely decided to pivot by changing its name. Drumroll please...AppleTV+ is now just Apple TV.

'Severing' itself from the past, The New York Times confirms that Apple announced the name change by burying it in the ninth paragraph of a release about F1: The Movie's streaming release.

Although the website still refers to AppleTV+, the company explained, "Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity."

Confusingly, there are now three things dubbed Apple TV. This includes the streaming service, the physical box, and the Apple TV app.

Despite ditching the + and moving away from the likes of Disney+, AMC+, and Paramount+, Apple still has Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and iCloud+.

Apple follows in the footsteps of the WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. merger shafting HBO Max. The Apple TV rival raised a few eyebrows when it was rebranded as Max in 2023, only to revert back to HBO Max in July 2025.

Considering McKinsey & Company is said to have earned over $155 million for advising on HBO Max's rebranding strategy, many mocked the seemingly unnecessary change.

This didn't go unnoticed on Reddit, with one person writing: "I wonder how many millions they paid consultants for this."

Another critic chuckled: "Can’t wait to watch Apple TV on my Apple TV."

A third said: "Incoming price increase for cost of paying people to remove the +."

We also love The Simpsons reference, as someone concluded: "Malibu Stacy with NEW hat."