Jobs' biographer says Apple-Beats deal could be future of Apple television
Speaking with Dan Lyons of "Fake Steve Jobs" blog fame, late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs' biographer Walter Isaacson said he thinks the alleged tie up with Beats Electronics could be more about content -- and Jimmy Iovine -- than software and hardware.
Citing notes taken for his book about Jobs, Isaacson floated the idea that Apple may be more interested in acquiring Iovine's industry clout than Beats' hardware and software business, Lyon reports for Billboard. Apple is rumored to be in talks to buy Beats for some $3.2 billion.
Revisiting the notes, Isaacson pointed to comments made by Iovine in 2002 and 2003 in which the music executive said Apple should buy Universal, a move that would guarantee audio and video content from one of the largest producers in the world. The music industry guru currently sits as chairman of Universal Music Group's Interscope Geffen alongside his cofounder role at Beats.
Isaacson now believes Apple wants Beats for video, saying CEO Tim Cook may tap Iovine to run Cupertino's digital content business and make preparations for the long-rumored Apple television set. A report in November claimed the company shelved plans for a full-blown HDTV due to problems regarding available content.
In the past, Iovine may have been able to provide significant help in brokering such a deal -- one similar to his 2002 consolidation of bringing together top music labels -- though Isaacson said doing the same at this point would be "a lot more complicated."
The idea is not without foundation, especially considering the $3.2 billion Apple is rumored to be paying for Beats. Some industry watchers see the figure as an exorbitant price to pay for what amounts to a popular accessories maker with a fledgling music streaming service.
Iovine and Jobs were close friends, though the pair disagreed on certain issues pertaining to content distribution. For example, Iovine said in 2013 that he pushed Jobs to adopt a subscription model for an Apple music streaming service, much like the current payment plans offered by Beats Music.
Further backing up Isaacson's take on the situation are reports that Beats cofounders Iovine and Andre Young, who performs under the name Dr. Dre, would take senior positions at Apple if a deal is inked. A report last week claimed the two executives would take the stage at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, but no official word has been conveyed.
Apple and Beats are both staying silent about the talks, which was initially expected to be finalized last week. A later report claimed discussions are ongoing, but the two companies may reveal an agreement as soon as this week.
Citing notes taken for his book about Jobs, Isaacson floated the idea that Apple may be more interested in acquiring Iovine's industry clout than Beats' hardware and software business, Lyon reports for Billboard. Apple is rumored to be in talks to buy Beats for some $3.2 billion.
Revisiting the notes, Isaacson pointed to comments made by Iovine in 2002 and 2003 in which the music executive said Apple should buy Universal, a move that would guarantee audio and video content from one of the largest producers in the world. The music industry guru currently sits as chairman of Universal Music Group's Interscope Geffen alongside his cofounder role at Beats.
Isaacson now believes Apple wants Beats for video, saying CEO Tim Cook may tap Iovine to run Cupertino's digital content business and make preparations for the long-rumored Apple television set. A report in November claimed the company shelved plans for a full-blown HDTV due to problems regarding available content.
In the past, Iovine may have been able to provide significant help in brokering such a deal -- one similar to his 2002 consolidation of bringing together top music labels -- though Isaacson said doing the same at this point would be "a lot more complicated."
The idea is not without foundation, especially considering the $3.2 billion Apple is rumored to be paying for Beats. Some industry watchers see the figure as an exorbitant price to pay for what amounts to a popular accessories maker with a fledgling music streaming service.
Iovine and Jobs were close friends, though the pair disagreed on certain issues pertaining to content distribution. For example, Iovine said in 2013 that he pushed Jobs to adopt a subscription model for an Apple music streaming service, much like the current payment plans offered by Beats Music.
Further backing up Isaacson's take on the situation are reports that Beats cofounders Iovine and Andre Young, who performs under the name Dr. Dre, would take senior positions at Apple if a deal is inked. A report last week claimed the two executives would take the stage at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, but no official word has been conveyed.
Apple and Beats are both staying silent about the talks, which was initially expected to be finalized last week. A later report claimed discussions are ongoing, but the two companies may reveal an agreement as soon as this week.
Comments
I'm still holding out hope that this whole Beats rumor is a huge hoax.
Now a days everyone predicts about Apple. Why can't I become one?
Also, I dont have any qualification. So, I would think I can become one analyst to predict something about Apple.
Think... Think... Think...
Isaacson has proved many times that he has no insight into what Apple is doing despite getting so close to the people running it. He's such a hack, I really wish Steve hadn't chosen him as his biographer. What kind of biographer actually counters points made by their subject with their own experiences in a biography? Here he is talking about a watch and TV:
http://www.macrumors.com/2014/01/31/walter-isaacson-on-apple/
No clue whatsoever as to what Apple's doing. Why would Jimmy Lovine be any kind of leverage with video networks?
I think Apple will change radically and will likely double in value.
Everything media will go under the Beats brand including some hardware.
iTunes, CarPlay, AppleTV, TV software, TV hardware, iPods, headPhones, earPhones, speakers etc...
Apple will focus on computing hardware and software.
Mac OS, iOS, SIRI, Maps, iCloud, Macintosh, iPad, iPhone, Wearables, Medical devices, 3D printers etc...
AppleInsider, please stop giving these shitty people coverage. Walter Isaacson is a piece of garbage, who's been exploiting his position to bash Apple at every opportunity, and shill for Kane's agenda-laden, discredited smear-campaign book full of lies.
As for Dan Lyons? That piece of garbage troll has built a career on dragging Apple through the mud, and he recently admitted everything that he ever wrote was a pack of lies meant for "clicks" which he claims he was addicted to. He's still talking about Apple? And people are still listening to him? Unreal. This website should have an ounce of fucking class and restrain itself from re-publishing every breath of clowns like these. Isaacson has zeo insight about this rumored deal, same with Lyons. They're both deceitful, lying hacks.
I had suspected there was something else to the deal than Beats headphones or getting cred from urban hip hop fans, which is what most people thought was the deal.
We don't know that yet, and actually, no more is known about this rumored deal than was known about it when it was first written about.
Basically, nothing at all is known, and all we have are publicity hungry people making shit up and offering their worthless two cents.
No man is worth billions.
Disagree.
AppleInsider, please stop giving these shitty people coverage. Walter Isaacson is a piece of garbage, who's been exploiting his position to bash Apple at every opportunity, and shill for Kane's agenda-laden, discredited smear-campaign book full of lies.
Tell us what you really think, Slurp.
Steve was!
Hopefully Jimmy is too.
p.s. I am too but just can't persuade anyone else of that ...
Steve was!
Hopefully Jimmy is too.
That comparison isn't going to fly. But I think if this guy could manage to get Apple a TV subscription deal I'd certainly consider him well worth this acquisition. With the right TV subscription deal I think the future of television is, without doubt, a great all in one subsidised TV as part of a contract. Just like how signing a contract gets the average person the best phone on the market today, future TV hardware could work just like that. Not to mention that no matter how good an Apple TV set top box is going forward TVs themselves will eventually perform all of the functions of these boxes and thusly render them redundant. It's only a matter if time. In 20 years time every TV on the planet will be a smart TV 5 times smarter than the smartest TV that exists today. IMO Apple has no choice but to be in the smart TV business. And you can bet your life Apple knows this and wants in. If they can get the content I see iTV getting green lit. If they get the content the writing's on the wall.
He's milking the Steve Jobs connection as far as it'll go, but the man is clueless.
Sorry no comparison was intended ... OK Steve was worth (Billions) x n but maybe Jimmy is worth 1?
It is getting old isn't? I wrote what Steve told me so now i am a Steve expert on all matter ...
Contacts my arse. Music is dying anyway. But if you think that when billion dollar boy walks into a record company who have previously rejected apple the managers will go " it's that guy from American Idol, let's just hand him our clients. Seriously ?
Why not buy the damn record companies.
I must say I'd like Apple to be looking at Yahoo and perhaps Sony ...
Jesus you people have drunk the Kool aid. Jobs - who cost apple $ 400m if you attribute no value to Next - was a triple successful entrepreneur when bought out by Apple. The company had previously founded. As a side project jobs created the most successful animation studio of its day. Jimmy Iovine is a sound engineer.
A sound engineer that convinced the record business to sign up with iTunes after seeing the iPod. The iPod which was the foundation for what Apple is today. Don't underestimate the power of the dealmakers — they make things happen.