Why ‘Apple TV Plus’ is a bad name

Apple’s new streaming service is called Apple TV Plus.

It’s a bad name.

Why is that? Well, here’s the description for Apple TV Plus, straight from Apple’s website (emphasis mine):

The name Apple TV Plus simply doesn’t address that this service could also be a place for films, or perhaps even other types of multimedia like documentaries or video podcasts.

It’s odd that Apple would choose a name that makes it sound like the service is only about TV, especially since Apple made a big deal of how you can watch these shows on any Apple device you own.

The name Apple TV Plus is also confusing in general. Apple already sells something called the Apple TV, which is a streaming set-top box sold in stores and online. People could very easily assume Apple TV Plus is simply upgraded hardware, or maybe they think they need a physical Apple TV in order to watch these new shows — a reasonable conclusion, based on the name — when that’s not the case.

Names matter: All words have a psychological effect, and people subconsciously correlate names with ideas. Apple whiffed big time with the name Apple TV Plus, and changing the name at this point would make Apple look incompetent. Apple picked the name, and it now has to live with it.

Apple should have given this service a name that actually encapsulates what it is: a place to watch original films, shows, and other types of multimedia that are at least partially produced by Apple. It could have been called Apple Originals, or Apple Premium, or even Apple Prime if it wanted to get cheeky with its newfound media streaming rival, Amazon. But the name Apple TV Plus feels confusing, short-sighted, and singularly focused on TV shows, when it’s supposed to be more than that.