Apple TV Plus' 'Defending Jacob' is a hit, but new data suggests subscriber growth is sluggish

Apple TV Plus sign-ups in March and April were no greater than February sign-ups, according to the research company Antenna, suggesting that the streaming service's subscriber growth is slow compared to others during the coronavirus pandemic.
But audience demand for Apple's original TV shows has grown since March, according to Parrot Analytics, particularly its breakout hit, "Defending Jacob."
Viewers of the series aren't watching other Apple originals on the platform, though, Parrot data suggests.
Apple has recently bought old TV shows and movies to grow a library of licensed content, according to Bloomberg, but it may not be enough to break out in a crowded sea of streaming services with more bang for the buck. 

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With people stuck at home due to the coronavirus pandemic, streaming is on the rise.
Disney Plus and Hulu are likely the services seeing the biggest gains in US subscribers since the outbreak began, according to a recent survey from TV analytics firm EDO (the former has gained over 54.5 million subscribers since launching in November, and the latter had more than 30 million as of February). And Netflix exceeded expectations in its Q1 earnings report last month, adding 15.8 million subscribers globally. It now has 183 million subscribers worldwide.
But the data isn't as clear cut for Apple TV Plus.
Data from the research company Antenna, which is based on a variety of anonymized transactional data sources (like credit card transactions), suggests that Apple TV Plus is the only major streaming service that hasn't surged in subscribers while people practice social distancing. Antenna said that Apple TV Plus sign-ups in March and April, when coronavirus guidelines were implemented, were no greater than February sign-ups.
But audiences might, however, be warming to Apple TV Plus' programming.
Data from Parrot Analytics provided to Business Insider suggests there's been increased "demand" for Apple TV Plus' original programming recently. The data company doesn't look at subscribers, but measures audience demand, which reflects viewership, engagement, and desire weighted by importance. The demand share in the US for Apple TV Plus' programming among other streamers had increased by more than 10% in the seven weeks after March 11.
"The impact the pandemic is having on audience demand has certainly helped Apple TV Plus so far," said Parrot Analytics partnerships director Steve Langdon, adding that "Defending Jacob," starring Chris Evans, had been a breakout hit for the platform.
In the six months since its debut, the service's content selection is slim, but there is high demand for what is available, according to Parrot.
Is that enough to grow a significant subscriber base?
It's unclear how many people are actually using Apple TV Plus
Bloomberg reported on...