Apple lays off Fitness+ staff amid cost-cutting measures

Apple has laid off several employees working on its Apple Fitness+ service, signaling a period of cost-cutting for the subscription platform. The layoffs specifically impacted staff responsible for audio content, such as the ‘Time to Walk’ and ‘Time to Run’ guided sessions. While these audio-guided programs will continue, the frequency of new content releases is expected to decrease.

Industry reports suggest that the service faces challenges including high operational costs and significant subscriber churn rates. Although the layoffs are viewed internally as the beginning of more drastic budget reductions, there are currently no indications that Apple intends to shut down the service entirely. Instead, the company may focus on integrating Fitness+ more closely with its redesigned Health app to improve competitiveness in the health and wellness sector.