Netflix ruined its Apple TV app by switching to a custom video player
Netflix's replacement of Apple TV's native video player with a custom player has degraded user experience by removing platform-specific features, blocking basic controls, and breaking cross-device integration—triggering visible customer churn and subscription downgrades. This decision, apparently driven by platform consistency and potential advertising optimization, represents a broader pattern of diminished Apple TV support that erodes competitive differentiation in an increasingly crowded streaming market. Technology leaders should view this as a cautionary example of how platform-agnostic standardization can backfire when it undermines native OS capabilities that consumers rely on daily.
9to5Mac2 min read
Netflix has once again made a controversial change to its Apple TV app. In recent weeks, the company has stopped using the native tvOS 26 video player in favor of a custom player similar to the one it uses on other TV platforms. In practice, this makes the most common interactions more cumbersome and blocks users from using platform-specific Apple TV features. more…