The Apple TV+ marketing department sure kept itself busy Tuesday. A space-suited denizen of the streamer’s hit sci-fi series Silo showed up in the stands at an NBA game ahead of the show’s season two finale, which arrives Friday.
Earlier Tuesday, a Severance office popped up in New York City’s Grand Central Station. The pop-up drew stars from the show as well as plenty of curious commuters ahead of the Severance season two premiere, which also arrives Friday on Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ ran a full-court press on the promo stunts this week, a departure from the norm. What else could be in store?
Apple TV+ promotes Silo season 2 finale with suited character at NBA game
In an increasingly competitive streaming market, Apple TV+ needs to lure new subscribers. And the PR department seems hell-bent on coming up with creative ways to spotlight the service’s most popular shows. However, while Ted Lasso made headlines early on for its unique mix of comedy and optimism, few other shows seem capable of breaking through.
Still, Silo keeps pulling in viewers with its dystopian sci-fi. And Severance fans are stoked for the second season of the quirky, creative show after a long wait. So Apple TV+ PR is striking while the iron is hot.
On Monday, Apple TV+ put out a clever and very creepy video for Severance‘s imminent season two, then followed it up Tuesday with Lumon Industries workers — including stars of the show — toiling at the fictional company’s terminals behind clear walls in a pop-up display mounted in NYC’s Grand Central Station.
But not to be outdone Tuesday, another Apple TV+ show appeared in a post on X.com from the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. The post shows a brief video of a guy in an unmistakable Silo-style space suit sitting in the stands at the team’s game against the Denver Nuggets. He waves at the camera amid the crowd.
“When you live in a post-apocalyptic underground bunker, it’s important to try to catch a game when you can,” said the post. “#Silo — Stream season 1 and 2 of the sci-fi epic on @appletv.”
When you live in a post-apocalyptic underground bunker, it's important to try to catch a game when you can. #Silo — Stream Seasons 1 and 2 of the sci-fi epic on @appletv. pic.twitter.com/RGuAJrj4LG
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 15, 2025
Evolving promo tactics for Apple TV+
In recent years, Apple TV+ limited itself mainly to putting out straightforward trailers to promote its shows and movies. Or at any rate, those plus a couple of kooky things like a soundtrack remix and even vinyl soundtracks for innies and outies promoting Severance. So it’s interesting that the streamer now seems to be going all out.
After launching in 2019, Apple TV+ developed a reputation for quality content — with awards and nominations to show for it. However, its content library and viewership numbers (which Apple doesn’t share) are dwarfed by those of major competitors like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Perhaps we’ll see more gonzo promotional hijinks in the coming months.
Watch Severance and Silo on Apple TV+
Severance season one streams now on Apple TV+, with season two debuting Friday. Silo‘s first two seasons stream now, with the second season’s finale episode also coming Friday.
Apple TV+ is available by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. Customers who buy a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 471 wins and 2,090 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
Apple TV+ is home to more than 200 exclusive movies and TV shows (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso). The service also offers documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.
