Apple TV avoids game shows, and won’t pivot

A long-running gap sits at the center of how Apple TV+ chooses what it puts on screen: it has produced only three competition-style shows in its history, none of them smash hits. With Apple’s stated focus on “creating the best” rather than “creating the most,”

For a lot of streaming watchers, Sunday night is when the quiet math happens: what did you actually watch, and what’s getting cut next month?

In one subscriber’s case. the math is complicated by the fact that Apple TV is wrapped inside an Apple One subscription. Canceling it isn’t an option—so the real problem becomes finding reasons to turn it on at all. That turns out to be harder than it sounds, especially for someone who doesn’t lean toward narrative-heavy series.

The sticking point is blunt: Apple TV doesn’t do game shows. Apple does sports. which are undeniably competitive. but the gap here is between sports and the kind of competition that feels like a show you can’t wait to play along with—trivia. challenges. studio formats. tasks. and the messy excitement of people competing for something tangible.

The viewer in question says they’re a trivia nut. and while they’re open to reality competition formats. Apple TV doesn’t offer what they want. They point to the absence of an Apple Original trivia show on the service. and they frame their difficulty as practical. not theoretical: the content isn’t pulling them in often enough to justify the time.

They name what they like elsewhere. One favorite is Release the Hounds, where contestants take on horror-themed tasks before trying to outrun dogs for money. Another close second is the lighter, family-friendly Chef and My Fridge on Netflix.

Apple, in their view, keeps largely away from that kind of format.

Apple’s record on competition shows isn’t just small—it’s tiny. The writer counts three competition shows in Apple’s long-form programming history, stretching the definition “a tiny bit” to include them.

The earliest entry goes back to 2017. when Planet of the Apps premiered on CNBC and was also available on Apple Music and iTunes. Even without Apple TV existing yet. it was clearly meant to fit Apple’s ecosystem: a Shark Tank-esque concept where app developers pitch ideas they believe could make them tons of money. The pitch didn’t land for the viewer either; they describe it as a show where developers try to get Gary Vaynerchuk. Jessica Alba. Gwyneth Paltrow. and Will.I.Am to care about their “great” idea—until the writer lands on the same conclusion: the less remembered about it. the better.

The second attempt came in 2023, with My Kind of Country, a competition series that tried to take on The Voice. Country singers around the world were gradually eliminated until one person won $100,000 and promotion on Apple Music. The logic for Apple is obvious in the way it ties into Apple Music—but the show still didn’t become something big enough to trigger more. It hasn’t officially been cancelled, the writer says, but it hasn’t been renewed either.

The third show. Kpopped. is music-adjacent and even the writer’s own framing suggests it “barely counts” as a competition show. Still, it does include a voting step to determine who did best. The format is built to ride the K-pop wave: it combined established groups with Western artists. gave them 48 hours. and made them perform to an audience.

The competition, however, feels like the excuse. The bigger point. according to the writer. is the lineup: established Western artists like Megan Thee Stallion. the Spice Girls. Kesha. and Kylie singing alongside K-pop groups like Billie and Itzy. For them, it’s essentially fluff and a bid to cash in on a global trend.

The takeaway is hard to miss: three attempts, no smash hits, and a pattern that doesn’t look like it’s building toward something more substantial.

That sits in stark contrast to what other platforms offer. The writer says that “pretty much every major streaming service” already has competition reality shows or game shows on its current roster—originals commissioned by the services themselves, not just imports from back catalogs.

Amazon, they list, has Beast Games led by Mr Beast, along with Last One Laughing, the James Bond-themed 007: Road to a Million, and a season of Pop Culture Jeopardy.

Netflix. the writer says. is far more prolific and often successful with its own content. spanning skill-based shows like Blown Away and Is It Cake?. physical competition series like Physical 100 and Floor Is Lava. and more cerebral formats including The Devil’s Plan. Million Dollar Secret. and the service-switching Pop Culture Jeopardy. They also point to offbeat reality competition such as Zombieverse. the “middling” Squid Game: The Challenge. and the “throw-away” Snowflake Mountain.

Disney+ is portrayed as different partly because it pulls from TV channels and studios it owns. which typically debut on broadcast first. The writer says the original programming side is thinner. but they still cite Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge as an attempt at a kids’ game show tied to the film franchise—even if it “didn’t really work that well. ” at least in their telling.

Behind the format preferences is an economic argument that the writer lays out plainly: game shows can be cheaper to produce than scripted drama. Studio quizzes require a small set, which can make long-running formats more efficient. Reality competition shows need more than a single studio setup. but they still don’t operate at the budget scale of high-end scripted production.

Staffing is also portrayed as more manageable. since the prize contestants are effectively the draw. and prize money can be less than the cost of multiple actors and extras. The writer also notes that studio quizzes can be filmed in bulk—multiple episodes in the can in a day—so shorter production times can save money.

Even with big cash prizes described as “six or seven-figure. ” the economics still make it easier for studios to take more shots. The writer points to that as part of how Netflix can churn out multiple competition shows. aiming for a few hits—an approach that has worked on broadcast television for decades and continues there.

Where this all lands is the reason Apple may not change. The writer says they can wish Apple would try “some decent game show-like content,” but it’s probably not coming.

The foundation is Apple TV+’s remit from early on. years before the “plus” branding existed. the writer says: high-quality programming for viewers. They reference an early interview in which Eddy Cue—then VP of Software and Services—was adamant that Apple was working on “creating the best” content instead of “creating the most.”.

That approach. the writer adds. has paid off over time. helping Apple TV+ become known as a dramatic powerhouse that has won many awards and accolades. They also connect that track record to Cue again: now listed as SVP of Services and Health. he was named the 2026 Entertainment Person of the Year at Cannes Lions.

In other words, the writer’s logic isn’t just that Apple hasn’t tried game shows. It’s that Apple appears to believe the content strategy should stay narrow and premium. They say Apple isn’t in the business of being cheap with production. doesn’t believe in a shotgun approach to content. and aims to make everything “a hit.” Unless Apple leadership shifts away from Cue’s strategy—something the writer treats as unlikely—the game-show formats they’re craving “have no place” on Apple TV.

If you’re trying to solve the problem by watching more Apple TV+ anyway, the conflict is straightforward: other services have turned competition formats into reliable, repeatable entertainment, while Apple—so far—has chosen a different lane.

And for this particular subscriber, the lane hasn’t widened enough to change how often the subscription gets used.

Apple TV+ Apple TV Apple One game shows competition reality TV Eddy Cue Planet of the Apps My Kind of Country Kpopped streaming services Netflix Amazon Disney+