Apple is planning to unveil its new Apple TV set top box in a little over a week, and it looks like the company may be considering funding its own TV shows to go with its big play to dominate the living room.
The iPhone maker has held preliminary conversations in recent weeks with executives in Hollywood to feel out interest in Apple spearheading efforts to produce original entertainment content, according to a new report that claims Apple is ready to take on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime video.
The unit putting out feelers reports to Eddy Cue, claims Variety, which says Apple made an unprecedented bid to secure the stars of Top gear when Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond exited the series from BBC earlier this year.
“Apple’s ambitions vary depending on whom is asked, but one high-level executive who talked with the company said the goal is to create development and production divisions that would churn out long-form content to stream in a bid to compete with Netflix,” reports Variety.
A headhunting firm has already been put in charge of hiring, according to Variety’s source. Apple plans to get its original content arm operating by next year, but it’s unknown whether the company plans to focus on TV series or movies. The company’s foray into original content could upset Apple TV partners like Netflix, HBO and Hulu, which provide streaming access to their own original shows on Cupertino’s set-top box.
Apple has quietly snapped up content on the festival circuit for distribution on iTunes for years. However, some of Variety’s sources dismiss Apple’s interest in original content as more of a flirtation than anything. It appears the company’s efforts are escalating, but it’s unlikely that we’ll see Apple’s answer to Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead until the end of 2016.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
5 responses to “Apple wants to take on Netflix with its own original programming”
Netflix is the darling of Wall Street with its supposed unlimited growth. I don’t think anyone believes Apple could take that away. Apple could have built its own Netflix years ago but only seemed to be interested in music. Even with a cash hoard as big as a mountain, Apple never seems to know how to expand. As iTunes dominated music, Apple could have dominated video. Apple could have done what Netflix did and not even break a sweat. I’m guessing Apple didn’t think streaming anything was a profitable business model.
If apple go intel and use invariant tsc as default ?just the quality upgrade alone (even at 1080i)would make this insanely popular.
Apple has $200 billion in cash. I’d say it’s late for most competitors, but it’s not too late for a company as insanely wealthy as Apple. They could gobble Netflix whole and not even burp.
Agreed. Apple should just buy Netflix.
It’s too bad Hemingway isn’t around to write Apple’s screenplays. His spare prose would have matched Apple’s designs.
Then again, he might have gotten drunk and punched out Sir Jony. Deal with him, Hemingway, indeed.