Apple TV+ may not pack in as many movies and TV shows as other major streaming platforms, but what it showcases rates highest for quality on IMDb, according to a new report.
Apple TV+ tops quality ratings in 19 genre categories on the movie-database site, including drama, comedy, action, biography and children’s content. But its relatively small catalogue helps keep it from ranking high on value for its price.
Apple TV+ top all streamers for quality content per IMDb ratings
Apple TV+ offers best-quality content rated by IMDb but also has the smallest library of content among several major streamers, a detailed survey from Self Financial found.
Other streamers the survey rated: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ (including Hulu), Max (formerly HBO Max), Paramount+ and Peacock.
These findings echo what JustWatch found in averaging critics’ scores of content in mid-2023. Apple TV+ has the best stuff, not the most stuff. And its rise based on that strategy continues.
Top quality, low quantity
Photo: Self Financial
Apple TV+ movies and series averaged a rating of 7.01 out of 10 (7.3/10 for family content), topping Self’s list for the third year in a row.
In fact, Apple TV+ came out on top in 19 of 27 genre categories. But in 11 of those, its rating carried an asterisk because it offers fewer than 15 titles in each of them.
And to that point, Apple TV+’s catalogue remains small compared to services like Amazon, Netflix and Hulu. The biggest, Amazon Prime Video, pushes 14,511 titles (it acquired MGM in 2022, for one thing). Netflix carries 6,643. And Apple TV+? Just 277, according to the survey.
What about value?
The Self survey also examined value offered for the cost of service. If found that Amazon’s Prime Video, which has surpassed Netlix in size but hasn’t increased prices like other services have, takes the value crown.
Prime Video offers the most movies rated “Excellent” on IMDb per $1 spent, at 42 (and 557 rated “Good”). However, Netflix still rates higheset for TV value, offering 60 “Excellent” shows and 241 “Good” shows for every $1.
Apple TV+ offers best quality including 4K content
Photo: Self Financial
With a much smaller catalogue, Apple TV+ rated lower on value, understandably. It simply has few titles per dollar spent across the board.
However, the service took top honors for having the top audience ratings for its 4K movies and TV series (7.18/10). The hit comedy Ted Lasso accounts for some of that, with its 8.8 rating.
For comparison, Netflix comes in at a 4K content rating of 6.53. Prime Video comes in last at 5.93.
Read more about the survey and its findings.
Watch the good stuff on Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is available by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 471 wins and 2,090 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
In addition to award-winning movies and TV shows (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso), Apple TV+ offers a variety of documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.
