Apple reportedly told the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE that the Apple TV Plus platform had less than 20 million subscribers.
The low numbers allowed the company to pay lower rates to workers under IATSE compared to bigger streaming platforms such as Netflix, according to CNBC.
Apple Pays Low Rates to Workers
Apple has never released the total subscriber numbers of the Apple TV Plus to the public. The streaming platform of the tech giant was launched in November 2019.
However, Apple TV Plus has fewer original TV shows and movies than larger streaming platforms like HBO Max and Netflix.
Apple TV Plus's biggest rival is Netflix, which revealed in August that it has 209 million subscribers worldwide.
According to a press release by IATSE, workers on "a certain streaming platform" get paid less even when they were assigned on productions with massive budgets.
The press release did not mention Apple by name, but a spokesman for IATSE told CNBC that Apple was the streaming platform that claimed that it has few subscribers in the US and Canada.
The union is currently preparing for a strike after negotiations with production companies were delayed.
The union stated in the press release that the explosion of streaming services combined with the pandemic had affected the working conditions, bringing more than 60,000 workers covered by contracts to a breaking point.
Apple TV Plus has numerous big-budget shows, including "The Morning Show," which stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, and the Emmy winning series "Ted Lasso" starring Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, and Brett Goldstein.
"The Morning Show" costs the streaming service $15 million per episode, while several "Ted Lasso's" writers and actors have negotiated lucrative contracts for its third season.
Apple said in July that it had a net profit of $21.7 billion and a revenue of $81.43 billion in its third quarter of 2021.
According to The Verge, both Apple and IATSE did not respond to requests for comment.
Apple TV Plus Prices
Apple TV Plus costs $4.99 a month, and it already includes ad-free 4K content. The selection of shows and movie are over 80 titles.
The titles of the streaming service are so few compared to other services like Disney Plus, HBO Max, and Netflix. The lack of content may be why its subscriber count is not as massive as the other streaming services.
Apple TV Plus Prices and Bundles
The $4.99 per month subscription fee includes ad-free content in HDR, 4K, and Dolby Vision. You can stream the app on six different devices at the same time, according to GameRadar.
However, it will cost less if you purchase the Apple One bundle, including Apple TV Plus with five more services. There are three subscription tiers that you can choose from. They are Individual, Family, and Premier.
The Individual package includes Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, and an iCloud storage of 50GB. It costs $14.95 a month, which saves you $6.
The Family package costs $19.95 per month, saving you $8 that five people can use, and it has the same service as the Individual plan. Its iCloud storage is 200GB.
The Premier costs $29.95 per month. Up to five people can use the plan, and it includes 2TB of iCloud storage. It also has Apple Fitness Plus and Apple News Plus. You can save up to $25 with this bundle.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
