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posted by martyb on Tuesday August 20 2019, @05:28AM   Printer-friendly
from the Lights!-Camera!-Money!!! dept.

Apple reportedly ups TV spending by $5 billion to compete with Amazon and Netflix

Apple has reportedly committed an eye-popping $5 billion dollars more to its original video content budget in a bid to better compete with Amazon, Disney, HBO, Netflix, and Hulu, according to a new report from the Financial Times.

The company had originally set aside $1 billion for former Sony Pictures Television executives Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg to court well-known creators and Hollywood stars to its platform. According to the FT, that number has jumped to $6 billion as more shows have moved through production and budgets have ballooned.

One production — a high-profile comedy-drama about morning television featuring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carrell called The Morning Show — has cost Apple hundreds of millions of dollars, the FT reports. Separately, Bloomberg reports that Apple is spending $300 million on just the first two seasons of the show.

That makes it more expensive on a per episode basis than the final season of HBO's Game of Thrones, which enjoyed a budget of roughly $15 million per episode and ranks as the most expensive season of television ever.

Also at 9to5Mac and Cord Cutters News.

Previously: Apple Investing $1 Billion in Acquiring and Producing TV Shows
Apple Inks Deal With Ex Machina Maker A24 Studio to Create Original Films


Original Submission

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Apple Investing $1 Billion in Acquiring and Producing TV Shows 19 comments

Apple will invest heavily in original TV content to try to counter other television and streaming services:

Apple will invest approximately $1 billion in acquiring and producing original TV shows over the next year, according to The Wall Street Journal. The investment could result in as many as 10 new shows, a source told the publication, with the iPhone-maker looking to match the high-quality output of networks like HBO.

The market for this sort of content is already crowded, and both traditional broadcasters and new media are fighting over lucrative deals for original hits. Apple previously focused on renting TV shows and movies through iTunes, but this business has been damaged by the rise of subscription services. The company's share of the movie rental-and-sales market is estimated to have dropped from 50 per cent in 2012 to less than 35 per cent recently.

HBO spent about $2 billion on content in 2016 and Netflix is expected to spend $6 billion on content in 2017.


Original Submission

Apple Inks Deal With Ex Machina Maker A24 Studio to Create Original Films 3 comments

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

Apple inks deal with Ex Machina-maker A24 studio to create original films

Apple has lined up another partnership to boost its video-content offerings. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Apple signed a deal with A24 studio, a New York-based production company responsible for movies, including the 2017 Oscar winner for Best Picture, Moonlight.Sex, violence, drugs get the axe in Apple’s upcoming original content

Details of forthcoming projects haven't been disclosed, but Apple reportedly signed a "multi-year partnership" to make "independent, feature-length films" with A24. Apple has numerous production partnerships and deals in the works already, but most are for serialized shows and other video content.

For the past year, Apple has focused on gleaning talent for its original content offerings. It began with the Carpool Karaoke and Planet of the Apps series, both of which are exclusively available on Apple Music.

[...] But A24's recent popular films—including but not limited to Moonlight, Lady Bird, Hereditary, Ex Machina, and The Disaster Artist, don't seem to fit in with Apple's current content visions. Reports suggest that the iPhone maker wants to avoid content with "gratuitous sex, profanity, or violence," all of which are elements explored in many of today's award-winning and popular films.

How and where Apple will distribute this original content is still unknown. Most of its exclusives live on Apple Music right now, so it could dump everything into its music subscription service or on iTunes. However, reports suggest Apple's rumored TV streaming service—which will be in direct competition with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu—will launch in early 2019.


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @05:55AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @05:55AM (#882500)

    Why not make a laptop worth purchasing and its appellation "pro"?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @06:01AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @06:01AM (#882503)

      Apple, content. What is worse than finding a worm in your Apple? C'mon, you all know it! Finding an active camera in your Apple!

  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by ledow on Tuesday August 20 2019, @07:15AM

    by ledow (5567) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @07:15AM (#882517) Homepage

    And if Apple have ever proven anything in their existence, it's that just because you throw money at something, it doesn't necessarily make it any good.

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Captival on Tuesday August 20 2019, @07:32AM (2 children)

    by Captival (6866) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @07:32AM (#882525)

    > featuring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carrell

    That sounds like the blandest, most shallow, forgettable morning show of all time. It'll do great.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @09:05AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @09:05AM (#882542)

      Still better than khallow.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Gaaark on Tuesday August 20 2019, @12:58PM

      by Gaaark (41) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @12:58PM (#882567) Journal

      I'm expecting an Apple commercial: they'll all be wearing white ear-buds and carrying iPads while using Apple laptops and dancing to the music on their Zunes.

      Errrr.... maybe not the last one: the props department couldn't find any! XD

      Yeah: sounds like a show I WON'T be watching, especially if only available on iTunes. Sounds like an expensive rom-com.

      --
      --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 3, Funny) by Mykl on Tuesday August 20 2019, @07:43AM

    by Mykl (1112) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @07:43AM (#882528)

    No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Tuesday August 20 2019, @09:27AM (5 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday August 20 2019, @09:27AM (#882544) Journal

    Jobs managed to bring to market NeXT/OSX Macs, ipod, iPhone, iPad**
    Looking to the Jobs-less Apple, no new tech, not even a notable evolution of their gizmos; and they are stepping now into the content production, a quite crowded market.
    I wonder how long their treasure chest will last.

    ---

    ** I let aside the first Macs, Jobs shares the success of them with Wozniak

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by terrab0t on Tuesday August 20 2019, @09:34AM (2 children)

      by terrab0t (4674) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @09:34AM (#882545)

      It will last quite a while.

      Remember, Apple is not an American company. It is an international company and it keeps vast sums of money outside of the US to avoid US taxes. That money doesn’t get taxed if they bring it in and spend it, so all of that non US cash is at their disposal. Hopefully they create something of value, but at least they are finding something to spend that cash on in the US rather than continuing to hide it elsewhere.

      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday August 20 2019, @02:33PM

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday August 20 2019, @02:33PM (#882596) Journal

        so all of that non US cash is at their disposal

        Why haven't they used it before now? Maybe that cash doesn't actually exist. Wouldn't be anywhere near the first time that someone claims to have something, accounting-wise, but which evaporates upon contact with reality.

      • (Score: 2) by legont on Wednesday August 21 2019, @12:46AM

        by legont (4179) on Wednesday August 21 2019, @12:46AM (#882882)

        Why don't they shoot it on Mars? With Mask as the star.

        --
        "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Bot on Tuesday August 20 2019, @10:26AM (1 child)

      by Bot (3902) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @10:26AM (#882550) Journal

      Depending on the point of view, it's the same old apple.
      Apple had the whole PC market (not that they were the first), left to IBM.
      Had the whole GUI market (not that they were the first), left to Microsoft.
      Had the whole internet phone market (not that they were the first), left to Android.
      Had the whole pro media workstation market (not that they were the first), left to intel clones.
      The alternative started out as inferior, and made progress by gobbling up cheap audience and more importantly devs, until the apple, resting on its laurels, find itself the second choice.

      What changed apple was the return of steve. Old steve, normal reality distortion field, new steve, back in the place where he was ousted from, became a control freak so the imac and the ipod were the beginning of the closing up of the ecosystem culminated with the apple store. That is the kind of company the system likes, BTW and from the always on the brink of bankrupcy we got to the swimming into cash corporation.

      What made apple great (apart the woz) was still steve, because he was the average user who wants stuff to work and be sleek, so the engineers had to cater to him.

      Now apple reasons like the average corporation, a clone of sony.

      --
      Account abandoned.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @03:07PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @03:07PM (#882603)

        In my experience the phone market has been more variable. At one time, 2/3 of new deployments of my app were on androids, now 2/3 are iPhones.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @11:35AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @11:35AM (#882557)

    i think many people kept on watching game of thrones not because it was good but because it was a golden diamond encrushed train wreck.
    i know i was watching to see what utter crazy story twist would happen next. and how great cgi and stagging could be wrapped around utterly bad story telling
    if one squints a bit and looks at it from the side it totally pases as a "spaceballs" version but in the fantasy mixed with pr0n genere.
    what totally wins the award is with what total conviction of "yeah this IS REALLY HAPPENING" the actors are acting the parody.

  • (Score: 1) by shrewdsheep on Tuesday August 20 2019, @02:22PM (1 child)

    by shrewdsheep (5215) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @02:22PM (#882592)

    In principle I don't care, let the fan-bois pay. Unfortunately, although I have not bought an Apple product in 10 years (ipod nano before that), I will still have to pay through government subsidies, lost taxes and other holes they suck the money in from everyone. A company like Apple, that has peaked and no clear way forward should sell off all assets, pay out the shareholders and dissolve. Unfortunately, the managers will burn through all the available money, rack up debts and only admit defeat when bankruptcy is declared after multiple bail-outs costing society dearly.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @06:36PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @06:36PM (#882717)

      "no public offering" stock starts it's life as that(*)?
      all companies that make REAL products at least TRY to make the garage bigger.
      anyways, for me, my last apple product was letting some else buy it .... so i don't get money.
      it was money well spent, not because my services are bad, but because i could not in any good believe continue to offer my services for a window *cough* that needs constant repair.
      my conviction was:"rather die from hunger then keep supporting a money magnet."
      that said, everything "computer" that makes life easier for the person spending money is a good thing. now i don't know WHO is having the spending money, but if I am not involved it the upkeep that is a good thing. if they want me to TEACH them to use a computer, that is okay:"give me ur monies" ^_^
      loop holes. we'll in good all europe we call it "vitamin B". i guess 'murikans are a bit "further" and put it into laws.
      in oldskool europe it's all just "pull" and no laws. i guess we got more inbreeding (familiy monies(maybe looks?)) then in the good old of usa.
      i see your "fleecing government incentives" and raise you a "blooding rebellion" :)
      "rigidity makes money flow the Light way"

      (*)read it again. i know it sucks to start with quotes.

  • (Score: 2) by wisnoskij on Tuesday August 20 2019, @02:28PM (2 children)

    by wisnoskij (5149) <{jonathonwisnoski} {at} {gmail.com}> on Tuesday August 20 2019, @02:28PM (#882595)

    Since when? I guess they also have some Netflix competitor? Will it only run on iDevices?

    I cannot see these so called "streaming wars" ending well for anyone. If even two competing services produce top grade content, it will just push 95% of their potential and current customers to move to pirating unless they offer huge deals when you signup for multiple streaming services.

    • (Score: 2) by Sourcery42 on Tuesday August 20 2019, @04:20PM (1 child)

      by Sourcery42 (6400) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @04:20PM (#882656)

      >Will it only run on iDevices?

      I'm wondering the same thing. On one hand that is a tremendous amount of money to invest and lock out a majority of potential customers who can't/won't use your hardware. One the other hand, Apple likes nothing more than locking in their adherents by keeping everything exclusive to their platform.

      • (Score: 2) by Mykl on Tuesday August 20 2019, @11:16PM

        by Mykl (1112) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @11:16PM (#882846)

        You may have missed it, but Apple started opening up AirPlay 2 last year and signing deals with Samsung, Sony and LG to include it on their Smart TVs. Those TVs also offer Apple TV apps on their devices etc.

        So no, it won't be an iDevice-only thing - Apple's already been working on getting the ecosystem out there.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday August 20 2019, @04:01PM (1 child)

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @04:01PM (#882643) Journal

    Apple was reported recently to have $100 billion in cash. That is a lot of money. They can swamp many smaller industries with that kind of money. What they should do, if they must get into streaming, is acquire Netflix. Netflix has a lot of money, too, and has been snapping up top talent in the industry for their own productions. But the really valuable asset Netflix has is all the years' long experience in analyzing viewer habits. They not only invented the phenomenon of binge viewing, but have had a lot of time to dissect exactly what works and what doesn't about plot lines, pacing, scheduling, what women like to watch vs. what men like to watch, what Millennials prefer vs. Baby Boomers, etc. All that information gives Netflix a very important advantage over Hulu, HBO, Disney+, and AppleTV.

    Netflix would gain, too, because there's a lot of overlap between their customers. Having a seamless experience across Apple's music catalogue, devices, and other platforms would create the holy grail that Microsoft always wanted, but failed miserably at, and what Google would love to have.

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @06:46PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @06:46PM (#882720)

      to quote (in reply to gazing the crystal ball):
      "if you only look above you will miss the riches below" (magnet:?xt=urn:btih:4EE35200B36DC88631E4EBBA67DD5D58071E160C)

  • (Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @04:39PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 20 2019, @04:39PM (#882668)

    How to steal a city: Montes v. City of Yakima - https://www.aclu-wa.org/cases/montes-v-city-yakima-0 [aclu-wa.org]

    How to steal a state budget: McCleary, et al. v. State of Washington - Supreme Court Case Number 84362-7: https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/supremecourt/?fa=supremecourt.mccleary_education [wa.gov]

  • (Score: 2) by sjames on Tuesday August 20 2019, @07:53PM

    by sjames (2882) on Tuesday August 20 2019, @07:53PM (#882754) Journal

    Record spending on a comedy in spite of people already fed up with high entertainment costs and significant pushback.

    Perhaps it's time to try actually controlling production costs and reducing prices. Of course that might really cut in to the hollywood tradition of producers hiring production companies that they *just happen* to own at outrageous prices and making profits disappear.

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