MacVoices #25301: TV+ Talk - IMDb Rankings, Live Sports Changes

Chuck Joiner and Charlotte Henry look at a report that stated that  Apple TV now has the highest average IMDb scores among streamers, validating its “quality over quantity” strategy.. They look at whether that is adequate to grow the service, and the “visibility” of Apple TV. The conversation includes Apple’s shifting live-sports presence, from MLB’s new rights deals to Apple’s costly early exit from MLS, and how future sports experiences with Vision Pro and evolving streaming “wars” will affect the future. 

Show Notes:

Chapters:

[0:00] Thanksgiving greetings and TV Plus Talk introduction
[1:36] Quick impressions of The Morning Show Season 4
[2:42] Apple TV+ leads IMDb average ratings discussion
[4:58] Quality vs. quantity and long-game streaming strategy
[9:58] Are high ratings enough to sustain a streaming service?
[14:39] Prime Video, Disney, and library growth comparisons
[14:43] MLB’s massive World Series audience and new rights deals
[16:44] Apple’s live-sports strategy and current holdings
[18:51] MLS Season Pass paywall misstep and course correction
[20:18] Apple’s early exit from the MLS deal and “expedited divorce”
[27:22] Could Vision Pro reshape how we watch live sports?
[31:56] Fast-changing sports rights landscape and streaming consolidation
[35:27] Where Apple sits now in the live-sports hierarchy
[35:59] Closing thoughts, Charlotte’s Streaming Wars book, and gift guides

Links:

MLB announces new 3-year rights deals with ESPN, NBC, Netflix
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-announces-media-rights-deals-with-espn-nbc-netflix

AppleTV+ has the highest average IMDb score for its streaming library
https://appleworld.today/2025/11/appletv-has-the-highest-average-imdb-score-for-its-streaming-library/

MLS, Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026: Sources
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6804777/2025/11/13/mls-apple-tv-end-paywall-season-pass/

Apple’s Red Card
https://puck.news/why-apple-and-mls-have-gone-their-separate-ways/

Guests:

 

Charlotte Henry is a media junkie, covering how Apple is not just a revolutionary tech firm, but a revolutionary media firm. She is based in London, writes and broadcasts for various outlets, and is the author of Not Buying It, an examination of fake news. You can find her on her The Addition blog, her podcast, in her The Addition newsletter on substack, and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

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