How much money was separated from Apple TV+

There is no doubt that Severance is the show of the winter. Three years after its first season garnered rave reviews and had viewers theorizing online, “Lay-off” season 2 has launched with much fanfare, punctuated by high-profile publicity stunts such as members appearing in a Grand Central Station pop-up. That's all well and good, and the show is firmly entrenched in the airwaves, but has all the attention translated into real financial success for Apple TV+?

Apple's streaming platform has never been at the top of the heapthough it has one of the strongest track records when it comes to investing in quality content. It's also one of the few companies involved in the streaming wars whose entire business isn't tied to the realm of digital content. Extended Apple TV+ trials are included with new iPhone and iPad purchases, giving Apple's platform value beyond its paying subscribers. In other words, the question of a show's “value” on a streamer isn't entirely straightforward.

In a recent research report by Parrot Analytics, Deadline shared that Season 1 of “Severance” grossed more than $200 million, according to the agency's content rating methodology, “a formula that correlates audience demand with subscribers and therefore revenue.” That number may seem substantial, but it's also roughly the same as Season 2's reported production budget. What's particularly interesting is that, according to Parrot's research, nearly half of Season 1's total revenue came in the year after the finale, a testament to the show's strong word-of-mouth marketing.

A report from Deadline shared some of Parrot's estimates of other popular Apple TV+ originals, revealing that “Severance” has already entered the top echelon of shows on the platform. Apple's original flagship “The Morning Show” brought in $299.4 million, but over a much longer period, while popular spy series “Slow Horses” generated $184.8 million “in a similar period” to “Severance” Season 1. however, that compares to Ted Lasso's numbers, which Parrot estimates will bring in $609.4 million between 2020 and 2024.

There's no doubt that “Ted Lasso” has been the most-watched Apple TV+ original to date, which may be due in large part to the fact that it maintained a regular release schedule in an era when many other streaming series did not. The “hiatus” between seasons lasted nearly three years, but that might actually bode well for the show's continued popularity. Season 1 was a bit of a surprise, even with the significant marketing push it received, an original sci-fi thriller featuring high-profile comedians both in front of and behind the camera. By the time Season 1 ended, the show's profile had only grown online, and many may have raised their own first climbing with the start of “Severance” season 2.

While “Severance” season 3 has yet to be officially ordered by Apple, members of the production team, including director Ben Stiller, have confirmed that work is already underway and seem confident in Apple's commitment to the series. The company kicked off 2025 with a free Apple TV+ weekend for everyone, which could be considered a general New Year's promotion. However, given the proximity of Severance's Season 2 premiere, this was likely largely intended to attract non-subscribers who had heard great things about the series online.

Like other “mystery box” shows like Lost and Manifest, Severance has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The nature of the writing, which forces fans to theorize and pay attention to every little insight, naturally attracts viewers. We all want to watch what everyone is talking about, especially while the real answers are yet to be revealed.

It remains to be seen whether Severance will be able to maintain the same level of interest once it starts cashing in on some of its long-kept secrets. Answers can often be the death of mystery-based shows, but Severance certainly has a solid foundation at the start of Season 2, and it's already working well for Apple.