After almost three years of waiting, Apple TV+ released the second season of its Emmy Award winning thriller, Severance, earlier this year. The reception of the new season has been glittering, as the show currently has 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and is among the top 10 most-viewed original TV shows according to Nielsen. It is now the most watched Apple TV+ series, surpassing Ted Lasso.
Severance, however, seems to be one of Apple TV+’s only originals to have broken through into the mainstream. Ted Lasso, starring Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham, looks to be one of the only other show to have done the same, having earned 13 Emmys from 2021-2023. Other originals have not been so fortunate as shown by the cancellations of the beloved Schmigadoon! and Central Park. Time Bandits, starring Lisa Kudrow, was cut short less than four weeks after the first season rolled out.
Success among attracting subscriptions can only be detected by word-on-the-street since Apple does not release subscription or view counts on their media. Despite the accolades and ratings many of its originals receive, the streets remain quiet with the exception of a lucky few. As Severance causes a stir across social media, could it be the show to bring subscribers to the rest of Apple TV+’s library?
Here is what Apple’s press release says about the premise of Severance:
“In “Severance,” Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure that surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work … and of himself. In season two, Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.”
The ending of season one left audience members with a shocking reveal and an excruciating cliffhanger. The anticipation for the season two was already brewing within the fan base.
Unlike Hulu and HBO Max, Apple TV+ does not sell its advertising space and uses those blocks of time to advertise their other originals. Even still, Apple TV doesn’t seem to be taking up much advertising space on many platforms, except when it came to these already popular TV shows. For the second season of Severance, this is especially true.
Besides a press tour, Severance season two caught the attention of TikTok and Instagram with major stunts and collaborations. Back in July 2024, Apple TV+ announced that Severance would be returning January 17, 2025, but this date didn’t catch much wind until SZA announced the date on her Instagram, as well as her music video for “Drive”, which stars Severance‘s executive producer, Ben Stiller. Apple also produced a trailer with their CEO, Tim Cook, and on top of a couple of trailers and teasers from the second season, released the first eight minutes of its first episode before Christmastime. In addition to these teasers, Apple made their streaming service free for the weekend at the beginning of the year.
Apple TV has been generous, giving peaks of their shows via Instagram Reels and TikTok. What was probably the most outrageous PR stunt in the streaming service’s history happened when the main cast of Severance performed in a pop up in New York City’s Grand Central Station during rush hour, three days before the premier of the second season.
Ever since the second season’s premiere, the show has been the topic of all kinds of TikToks and Reels from thorough analyzing to memes. Again, it is hard to be definitive about the success of the show without reactions coming directly from their viewership, because Apple does not release this data. Nevertheless, there is buzz.
So what does this mean for the other shows streaming only on Apple TV+? While Severance had been sweeping through awards for the past two to three years, other shows, like Pachinko, also boast an array of nominations and awards. In comparison to Ted Lasso, they do not get the same air time on Apple TV’s social media pages, even though neither of the shows have a confirmed new season. Social media is one of the few ways that non-subscribers could get a taste of their content.
Along with Severance‘s season two debut, they announced their movie, “The Gorge”, starring Miles Teller, Anya-Taylor Joy, and Sigourney Weaver at CCXP24, the world’s largest pop culture festival that took place in São Paulo Expo, Brazil. The trailer for “The Gorge” can be found at the beginning of each Severance episode. Concurrent with these premiers was the quiet teaser for the new German series, Berlin ER (KRANK Berlin), and the fourth season of Mythic Quest, which has been around since Apple TV+’s beginning.
By looking at their press releases, social medias, and library, it is difficult to discern what litmus tests Apple uses to green light valuable PR for their originals when they are able to pay for big names and quality storytelling.
As for competition with other streaming services, it is clear that on many levels, Apple TV+ has a lot of time to make up for, having only launched in 2019 and having not bought any of its movies or shows. Their library is completely original. On the other hand, their relative pricing can be more favorable for consumers. Currently, Apple TV+ is cheaper than its senior giant, Netflix, which costs $17.99 (USD) a month without ads. Apple TV+ is ad-free, with regular pricing being $9.99 (USD), along with plenty of package deals, special discounts, and free trial options.
In the endless ocean of content power-houses, perhaps reputation is the best publicity for today’s serial content. The quieter releases, needing to resort on the tails of Severance‘s glamour, would just have to tell what kind of a success the show is for the streaming service.
For a start, Berlin ER‘s show poster does not do its cinematography justice.
