Apple TV renews interest in TV production
Apple TV is taking pitches from Hollywood producers and courting television execs.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under Streaming
Apple TV is taking pitches from Hollywood producers and courting television marketing executives for original movies and TV shows.
Content is said to be under consideration through its monthly $12 Apple Music service.
Apple has previously toyed with playing a larger role in entertainment several times, only to either retreat in the face of roadblocks or opt for smaller moves. It isn’t clear if the company’s ambition is to take on HBO and Netflix or simply to encourage more Apple Music sign-ups.
With more than 1 billion iPhones sold, sales have begun to flatten out, making content another form of revenue.
But executives at several Hollywood studios told the LA Times they are not in talks with Apple about joint productions or even licensing old TV shows or movies.
Bill Mechanic, the former chairman and chief executive of Fox Filmed Entertainment, said, “You can’t ignore companies like Apple.
“Those are players that have the deep pockets to withstand a learning curve, and they find their niche. I don’t mean ‘niche’ as a small thing. They find their place in the stream of content.”
John Landgraf, chief executive at TV channel FX, “There are extraordinary amounts of resources and capital in Silicon Valley and they are beginning to flow through Netflix, Amazon and now others in the programming business, and that is creating an acceleration in the increase in programming.”
One Response
From an Australian point of view, the direction of any future Apple programming will be intended for the American market which is the beginning and end for TV shows it would seem. How Apple will fit in with established players using a more budgeted approach will be interesting as Netflix is putting billions into it’s world market push for dominance. Also, Foxtel will have another streaming player to contend with so will it be investing more in the near future to reduce competitors licensed content, with the recent price rise I would think it has to or lose disgruntled viewers.