Apple's CEO says its Netflix competitor is 'off to a rousing start,' and third-party data suggests he could be right despite negative industry perception

• Apple CEO Tim Cook said on Tuesday that the company's streaming service, Apple TV Plus, was "off to a rousing start."
• Despite negative industry perception, Cook could be right.
• Parrot Analytics provided Business Insider data for the top 10 streaming premieres of Q4 2019 and Apple originals made up six of the spots.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said on Tuesday that the company's streaming service, Apple TV Plus, was "off to a rousing start." That assertion was met with skepticism by many in the industry.

The platform seemed to get off to a rough start when it launched in November. Its flagship series, "The Morning Show," was initially slammed by critics and the rest of the shows received bad or lukewarm responses, which was disappointing considering the amount of money that Apple spent on the shows.

Apple was also overshadowed by other streamers with huge hits in Q4, like Netflix with "The Witcher" and Disney Plus with "The Mandalorian." Even at only $5 per month, Apple's service seemed like a poor deal.

But while Cook didn't reveal any subscriber or sign-up numbers, third-party data backs up Cook's assertion and suggests that Apple TV Plus' original TV shows are faring better than some thought.

The data company Parrot Analytics provided Business Insider a list of the top 10 streaming original premieres in the US for the fourth quarter of 2019 and six of them are Apple series.

The 10 shows are:

1. "The Witcher" (Netflix)
2. "The Mandalorian" (Disney Plus)
3. "Harley Quinn" (DC Universe)
4. "Truth Be Told" (Apple TV Plus)
5. "Servant" (Apple TV Plus)
6. "See" (Apple TV Plus)
7. "For All Mankind" (Apple TV Plus)
8. "Raising Dion" (Netflix)
9. "Dickinson" (Apple TV Plus)
10. "The Morning Show" (Apple TV Plus)

Parrot Analytics measures demand expressions, its globally standardized TV demand measurement unit that reflects the desire, engagement, and viewership of a series, weighted by importance.

While the mega-hits "The Witcher" and "The Mandalorian" topped the list, the prevalence of Apple's shows is notable.

One possible reason for Apple TV Plus' negative perception at launch was because it touted "The Morning Show" as its flagship series and overestimated how audiences would respond. Of the Apple shows on Parrot Analytics' list, "The Morning Show" is the least in-demand premiere among US audiences. While the show has done well in the awards circuit (it picked up multiple Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild awards nominations), viewers have responded more positively to Apple's other originals, based on the demand data.

Apple's strategy for getting Apple TV Plus into as many hands as possible, without them necessarily paying for it, could be helping the shows gain traction. People who buy a new Apple product receive a free year of Apple TV Plus.

And those who do watch the Apple TV Plus originals seem to enjoy them more than critics. Apple's worst-reviewed shows, "Truth Be Told" and "See," have "rotten" critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes. But they have 88% and 87% audience scores, respectively.