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Apple TV dropped the “plus” as streamers keep pulling back on originals

After the spray-and-pray approach led to a wave of cancellations, Hollywood is settling into an era of just making fewer shows.

Hyunsoo Rim

10/15/25 6:07AM

Apple just quietly dropped the plus sign from its streaming service, Apple TV+. In a Monday announcement about the upcoming streaming debut of “F1: The Movie,” the tech giant casually slipped in a single line:

“Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity.”

Whether it’s a sign that Apple may soon add an ad-supported tier — Apple TV remains the only major streamer without one — or simply a brand refresh, the makeover lands as the “peak TV era” is officially over.

According to data from Luminate, series cancellation rates soared past 20% across almost every major platform — and even 40% for some — in 2023, marking an “inflection point” for Hollywood.

Rates of cancellations have since eased, but that doesn’t mean streamers have suddenly grown more generous; they’re just making fewer shows to begin with. Per Ampere Analysis, scripted TV commissions from six major global platforms, including Apple, Amazon, and Netflix, fell 24% year over year in the first half of 2025.

From plus to less

That could explain why Apple decided to drop the plus sign, once a symbol of something extra, in an industry that’s scaling back — reversing years of billion-dollar investments in original shows, low prices, and ad-free promises. Indeed, Apple TV’s rebrand comes just months after it raised its monthly subscription fee by 30% in August.

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American Airlines joins the flock, hiking bag fees amid higher jet fuel prices

American Airlines on Thursday announced that it, too, will be hiking the fees it charges customers to check luggage.

With the move, all four of the major US airlines, which together control about 80% of the US market, have now hiked their baggage fees in recent days amid surging jet fuel prices.

The change will go into effect on tickets bought on or after Thursday, the same day Southwest’s hike begins.

Since late March, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Canada’s WestJet, and Southwest have hiked their fees. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.

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The change will go into effect on tickets bought on or after Thursday, the same day Southwest’s hike begins.

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Less than a year after implementing them, Southwest is also hiking its bag fees

Southwest Airlines has joined the growing list of airlines opting to hike their bag fees amid sustained higher jet fuel costs.

Starting today, the first checked bag at the carrier — which implemented bag fees less than a year ago — will jump from $35 to $45, and the second from $45 to $55. Southwest quietly disclosed the change Tuesday.

Southwest assigned the decision to “part of an ongoing analysis of the business and against the evolving global backdrop.”

As of Wednesday, jet fuel prices dropped to $4.16 a gallon, per the Argus US Jet Fuel Index, down from $4.81 on Tuesday following President Trump’s ceasefire announcement, which sent travel stocks soaring. Major airlines have shed some of those gains in premarket trading Thursday.

With the move to hike bag fees, Southwest joins JetBlue, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Canada’s WestJet, all of which also boosted fees this month. Experts expect more major carriers to follow, and to potentially tweak the pricing of other ancillary revenue sources like seat assignments and carry-on luggage.

Three US airlines have already hiked baggage fees. More are likely on the way.