Apple's video efforts slated to air in March 2019

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited March 2018
Apple's push into producing original video content may come to fruition next year, according to a group of entertainment executives familiar with content and release plans, with new programming created via Apple's heavy investment potentially viewable by customers as soon as March 2019.




Unnamed producers and entertainment executives who have recently talked to Apple's executives advised to the New York Times the new shows currently under development is being targeted for rollout somewhere between March next year and the summer. While it is almost certain that other video projects will arrive before the alleged release window, the supposed timeframe relates to content specifically created as part of Apple's funding efforts from the last year.

The same group also suggest Apple is seemingly leaning towards projects that keep with "its bright, optimistic brand identity." This may be seen as a "safer" route for content production that is more likely to be welcomed by viewers, with Apple supposedly shying away from programming that could be considered "gratuitously dark or heavy on social issues."

It was reported last year that Apple was investing approximately $1 billion into original video programming, but the report suggests Apple will easily extend the budget past that figure. It is claimed in recent months that it has outspent Facebook and YouTube's own original content efforts, as well as traditional TV studios, as well as defeating main competitor Netflix in some bidding wars.

A lot of this spending has taken place recently, with Apple increasing its content acquisition considerably in the last five months. Deals to produce 12 projects have been made by Apple since October alone, including nine "straight-to-series" orders without producing a pilot.

Notable deals include a revival of Amblin Television's sci-fi anthology series "Amazing Stories," a drama starring Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, an animated musical series from the creator of "Bob's Burgers,", and a partnership for content from high-profile rapper Drake.

Apple has also signed a lease for a building in Culver City, CA., which is expected to be its content-related headquarters. The office building, expected to open in late 2019 according to Variety, will include 128,000 square feet of office space across four stories and is minutes away away from another 85,000-square-foot production facility it has been linked to since last year.

It is also believed Apple's video efforts, under the name Apple Worldwide Video and headed by former Sony Pictures Television executives Jamie Ehrlicht and Zach Van Amburg, employs approximately 40 staff, and is creating divisions for adult drama, children, Latin American, and European programming.

Despite the expenditure's size, it is still dwarfed by Netflix's plans to spend up to $8 billion on content in 2018 alone. As revealed in an interview with Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue at SXSW earlier this month, the strategy to go for fewer shows is intentional with Cue advising "we're not after quantity, we're after quality."

"When you think of content, first of all, and you can see that here at South by Southwest, great storytelling is important," mused Cue, adding "you get great storytelling from big name people, and you get it from new and up-and-comers." Cue claims this lesson came from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs when he ran animation studio Pixar, at a time when it created its earliest hit movies.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    red oakred oak Posts: 1,087member
    What a waste of time, money and focus.   Apple has no core competency in creating video programing.   Zero.    And the current providers (Netflix, Hulu, HBO, ShowTime, Amazon, YouTube, etc...) are already servicing consumer needs  

    I'm shocked this was (apparently) green lit
    edited March 2018 jbdragonYvLy
  • Reply 2 of 12
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    Take away all of Eddy Cue’s responsibilities outside of content, rebrand his division Apple Entertainment and move him to LA. Allow his division to be semi-autonomous from the rest of Apple.
    randominternetperson
  • Reply 3 of 12
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    red oak said:
    What a waste of time, money and focus.   Apple has no core competency in creating video programing.   Zero.    And the current providers (Netflix, Hulu, HBO, ShowTime, Amazon, YouTube, etc...) are already servicing consumer needs  

    I'm shocked this was (apparently) green lit
    You know what else Apple had no core competency in?

    Music players
    Online music stores. 
    Mobile phones. 
    Renewable energy. 
    Processor design
    Materials Technology
    Manufacturing Automation
    Retail
    AI
    3D Sensing
    Fingerprint-based security

    But thank you so much for your valuable contribution. These days I rarely get the opportunity to be the smartest person in the room. 
    edited March 2018 StrangeDaysfastasleepbestkeptsecret
  • Reply 4 of 12
    I have a lot of confidence that Apple will get the whole 'TV thing' right. I can hardly wait. 

    Saturday, I signed up for the 7 day free trial of SlingTV to watch the Formula One race in Australia. I was thinking I'd be happy to pay $30-$40/mo. to watch the F1 season.

    What a mess. First, I couldn't record it and had to stay up until midnight. But the most annoying thing was the incessant and inane commercials. I don't want to watch commercials for Taco Bell's new Cheesy Fries! (My GF saw the ad and said, 'are they trying to kill us?")

    I fell asleep (boring race-the race was won in the pits, WTF!) and the next morning, canceled the free trial 6.5 days early!  

    Ugh, just a terrible experience.

    Best.

  • Reply 5 of 12
    Rayz2016 said:
    red oak said:
    What a waste of time, money and focus.   Apple has no core competency in creating video programing.   Zero.    And the current providers (Netflix, Hulu, HBO, ShowTime, Amazon, YouTube, etc...) are already servicing consumer needs  

    I'm shocked this was (apparently) green lit
    You know what else Apple had no core competency in?

    Music players
    Online music stores. 
    Mobile phones. 
    Renewable energy. 
    Processor design
    Materials Technology
    Manufacturing Automation
    Retail
    AI
    3D Sensing
    Fingerprint-based security

    But thank you so much for your valuable contribution. These days I rarely get the opportunity to be the smartest person in the room. 
    Haha, he walked into that one! :)
  • Reply 6 of 12
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,305member
    I don't want to say that Apple is late to the game,.... BUT,.....

    Right now I have ZERO interest in any kind of Apple Video service. I've never signed up for Apple Music service either. I have reasons why that is the case and I don't see that changing for the Video service either. For one thing, they're not spending much money to make original content. Apple is also a little to PG for me. If I'm going to pay for a service, I want more adult content. I'm sure for others, they want family content. There you go, sign up for Apple.

    Maybe if it's a bundle of Apple Music and Video and whatever else, at a reasonable price?!?! Until I see the final results, which now seem to be maybe the middle of NEXT YEAR, it's pretty hard to guess what Apple's final plans will be. Maybe even Apple doesn't exactly know at this point.
    edited March 2018
  • Reply 7 of 12
    spice-boyspice-boy Posts: 1,450member
    I got a wait and see on this one but if "planet of the apps" is any indicator of what is coming it would be an easy no thanks. 
    This is how big corporations work, find something profitable that other (smaller) companies are doing well and 2-3 years later make a crappy copy which will win the day due to advertising budget and name recognition. 
  • Reply 8 of 12
    mavemufcmavemufc Posts: 326member
    red oak said:
    What a waste of time, money and focus.   Apple has no core competency in creating video programing.   Zero.    And the current providers (Netflix, Hulu, HBO, ShowTime, Amazon, YouTube, etc...) are already servicing consumer needs  

    I'm shocked this was (apparently) green lit
    Wow, way to totally disregard something before we've even seen one episode, personally I'm looking forward to seeing what they can come up with, you can never have too much providers or TV shows.
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 9 of 12
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,844member
    red oak said:
    What a waste of time, money and focus.   Apple has no core competency in creating video programing.   Zero.    And the current providers (Netflix, Hulu, HBO, ShowTime, Amazon, YouTube, etc...) are already servicing consumer needs  

    I'm shocked this was (apparently) green lit
    While I’m unclear how much money Apple has to gain from a content strategy, it must be pointed out that neither amazon nor google had core competency in entertainment content either. But now they do. So your point is rather bogus. 
  • Reply 10 of 12
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    red oak said:
    What a waste of time, money and focus.   Apple has no core competency in creating video programing.   Zero.    And the current providers (Netflix, Hulu, HBO, ShowTime, Amazon, YouTube, etc...) are already servicing consumer needs  

    I'm shocked this was (apparently) green lit
    It’s not like Craig is getting behind a camera and Eddy is writing scripts. Most of the content on those platforms is created by other studios, it’s not like Game of Thrones is done in house by HBO, or Netflix suddenly staffed up to film 20 films and series simultaneously. They just provide the content to the user. Kind of like, oh I don’t know, music on iTunes. 
  • Reply 11 of 12

    Planet of the Apps and Carpool Karaoke non-withstanding, I'm still interested in what Apple has to offer.

    Not really related, but I hope the TV app comes to all markets soon. It's a pain trying to find a movie I want to watch, even with just 3 media apps on my Apple TV. As the selection grows, the TV app will become really helpful.

  • Reply 12 of 12
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Will they force everyone to use Final Cut Pro?
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