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Will Jon Stewart quit his Apple+ show after low ratings?

By Pablo Urdiales Antelo

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 02: Comedian and activist Jon Stewart attends a press conference in support of "Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2021" in the House Triangle outside of the U.S. Capitol Building on March 2, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Act seeks to fulfill the nation's responsibility to provide health care and disability compensation to veterans battling the effects of toxic exposure connected to their military service. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 02: Comedian and activist Jon Stewart attends a press conference in support of "Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2021" in the House Triangle outside of the U.S. Capitol Building on March 2, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Act seeks to fulfill the nation's responsibility to provide health care and disability compensation to veterans battling the effects of toxic exposure connected to their military service. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images) /
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Jon Stewart‘s latest Apple+ gig is failing to impress. The Problem With Jon Stewart first aired in September of 2021 on the streaming network, hoping to provide a fresh new platform for the political commentator.

The Wrap reports that from the show’s debut, ratings have dropped dramatically, with it’s fifth episode seeing just 40,000 viewers tuning in.

Stewart himself responded to the low viewership this week on Twitter, in response to a Breitbart headline reading, ‘Nolte: Jon Stewart’s Apple TV Show Is Reported Flop with Just 40K Viewers’.

He tweeted: “Holy Shit!!! Just think how bad it’ll get in Season Two!!! And they upped our episode order!! WTF!!!???”.

Surprisingly, despite Stewart’s low viewership, Apple is confident that the show still has a place on it’s network, set to air a second season of episodes in the imminent future.

So, is Jon Stewart’s Apple+ gig secure?

Yes. For now.

Despite Stewart’s mediocre success in the streaming industry, his notoriety in news analysis and political commentary on television is clear.

The main structure of Stewart’s Apple+ show does not differentiate much from his past roles at HBO or Comedy Central. The Problem With Jon Stewart sees the comedian take on long form monologues on pressing contemporary topics, similar to John Oliver’s political heavy show on HBO.

Many online have pointed out that the source of Stewart’s low ratings may not be so clear. One user on Twitter said: “Jon Stewart’s problem is not his content but his platform. Apple TV is unpopular in general. Should have went to HBO Max. A streaming service for news was a stupid idea to start with.”

Statista reported that as of March 2022, the streaming service had around 25 million paid subscribers. Whereas, networks such as HBO are seeing nearly triple the number of paid users.

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