Apple renames streaming service Apple TV, drops Plus suffix

Apple announced Monday that its streaming service will drop the "Plus" suffix and will now be called Apple TV, a change the company said gives the platform a "vibrant new identity." The rebranding accompanied an update that the Apple Original Film F1 will debut on the service on Dec. 12, and Apple provided few other immediate details about timing or rollout.

Apple senior vice president of Services Eddy Cue said the decision was a collective one and reflected how people already refer to the service. "We put the plus in there because we've used it in our other services like iCloud and News, but we all called it Apple TV and we said, given where we are today, it's a great time to do it, so let's just do it," he said in an interview. Asked whether the change would cause confusion with the company's hardware, Cue added, "Our hardware is called Apple TV 4K for your TV. I think that's fine, and the app is called Apple TV."

Apple has begun showing visual signs of the rebrand in developer software. The iOS 26.1 and tvOS 26.1 developer beta releases include a refreshed app icon that introduces brighter colors into the design, following an earlier visual update tied to Apple's Liquid Glass...