How much money is made from Apple TV+?

There’s no doubt that “Severance” is the winter show. Three years after its first season garnered rave reviews and prompted viewers to formulate theories online, “Break Up” Season 2 It launched with a lot of baked-in interest, highlighted by high-profile publicity stunts such as the cast appearing at a pop-up in Grand Central Station. This is all well and good, and the series has cemented itself firmly into the zeitgeist, but has all this attention translated into real financial success for Apple TV+?

Apple’s streaming platform has never been at the top of the heapalthough it has one of the strongest track records when it comes to investing in high-quality content. It’s also one of the few companies involved in the streaming wars whose business isn’t entirely in the digital content space. Extended trials of Apple TV+ are bundled into new iPhone and iPad purchases, giving Apple the platform value beyond paying subscribers. In other words, the question of the “value” of viewing on a streaming device isn’t exactly simple.

In a recent report on research conducted by Parrot Analytics, Delivery time He shared that the first season of “Severance” generated more than $200 million in revenue according to the agency’s content rating methodology — “a formula for connecting audience demand to subscribers and therefore revenue.” This may seem like a large number, but it’s also roughly the same as the announced production budget for season two. What’s especially interesting is that according to Parrot’s research, nearly half of the first season’s gross revenue came in the year following the finale, which speaks to the series’ strong word-of-mouth marketing.

Deadline’s report shared some of Parrot’s estimates for other popular Apple TV+ original shows, revealing that “Severance” has already reached the top tier of shows on the platform. Apple’s flagship show “The Morning Show” grossed $299.4 million, but over a much longer time period, while hit spy series “Slow Horses” made $184.8 million over a “similar time frame” to the first season of “Severance.” But compared to the numbers brought by “Ted Lasso”, which, according to Parrott, brought in $609.4 million between 2020 and 2024.

There’s no doubt that, to date, “Ted Lasso” has been the most popular original series on Apple TV+, which may be largely due to the fact that it has maintained a regular release schedule in an era when many other streaming series have not. “Severance” took nearly three years between seasons, but this could bode well for the series continuing to rise in popularity. The first season was a bit of a surprise, even with the notable marketing push it received – an original sci-fi thriller featuring notable comedic actors in front of and behind the camera. By the time the first season ended, the series had only grown its online profile, and many of them may have as well Jumping for the first time at the start of Season 2 of “Severance.”.

While a third season of Severance has not yet been officially ordered by Apple, members of the production team, including director Ben Stiller, have confirmed that work is already underway, and they seem confident in Apple’s commitment to the series. The company kicked off 2025 with a free Apple TV+ weekend for everyone, which could be seen as a general New Year’s promotion. However, given the proximity of the Season 2 premiere of “Severance,” it’s also likely intended largely to appeal to non-subscribers who have heard great things about the series online.

Like other “mystery box” shows before it like “Lost” and “Manifest,” “Severance” has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The nature of his writing, which prompts fans to formulate theories and zero in on every little clue, naturally draws viewers in. We all want to see the thing everyone is talking about, especially when the real answers have yet to be revealed.

It remains to be seen whether Severance can maintain the same level of interest once it starts reaping some of its ancient secrets. The answers are often the death of mystery-based shows, but “Severance” certainly has a strong foundation at the start of Season 2, and it’s already doing well for Apple.