“One thing I always find interesting about the streaming wars is the level of misdirection that comes into play. Like a classic magician, while audiences are looking one way, the performer is doing all the work the other way,” The Entertainment Oracle writes for Seeking Alpha. “Apple is a magician.”
“Apple has a reputation based on secrecy and revealing things only when it believes the time is right. So should it really have been a shock that while Disney and Netflix were trying to one-up the other, Apple would be making a play of its own?” T.E.O. writes. “Shareholders were excited when – after what seemed like multiple stop and starts – Apple hired Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg from Sony to run its worldwide video programming division. Now the pair has made their first hire, and again, that should signal to investors the company is indeed moving in the right direction. Former WGN America President Matt Cherniss, who previous to that worked at Warner Bros. (among other studios), is now coming on board to help with development.”
“For those of you who were fans of Manhattan and Underground, Cherniss is whom you have to thank,” T.E.O. writes. “If Cherniss can find and shepherd the same level of shows he did at WGN America, but use Apple’s sizable clout and increased budget to bring them to the next level, it will change the playing field.”
“Tim Cook and team desperately want their House of Cards or their Game of Thrones, and that’s not unrealistic. If they find the right concept with the right cast, they will get the right result. This is the team that can do all of that, and more importantly, they have the resources to succeed,” T.E.O. writes. “If everything goes in the direction I’ve suggested, and Apple uses its Music service as its home base and has the right programming, the streaming space will again have evolved in a way people were not expecting. Now, that’s not to say Apple won’t pull another rabbit out of its hat and launch a separate service for this content, but you can see why it may not be as necessary.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Just keep feckless Eddy far away from the pitch meetings.
SEE ALSO:
Apple wants to spend $1 billion on 10 original TV shows over the next year – August 16, 2017
Former WGN America president Matt Cherniss joins Apple in latest TV push – August 15, 2017
Rivals leaving Apple behind as Apple TV remains stuck in a test pattern – August 8, 2017
Apple’s so-called TV ‘strategy’ continues to be an embarrassing joke – June 30, 2017
Apple poaches Sony TV executives to lead major push into original content – June 16, 2017
Hulu and NBCUniversal ink expansive agreement to bring top channels to Hulu’s upcoming live TV streaming service – May 1, 2017
YouTube to unveil virtual cable bundle for $30 to $40 a month – February 28, 2017
Stalled talks with Ron Howard highlight Apple’s content confusion – February 16, 2017
Apple vowed to revolutionize television; currently prepping an unremarkable 4K Apple TV instead – February 16, 2017
Apple TV: Still not ready for prime time – February 15, 2017
Apple hires Amazon’s Fire TV head to run Apple TV business – February 8, 2017
Apple’s new TV app shows just how painfully behind Apple is – December 14, 2016
Are you ready for 4K TV? Apple TV isn’t. – November 28, 2016
Apple has no idea what they’re doing in the TV space, and it’s embarrassing – November 3, 2016
Hulu inks deals with Fox and Disney, adding ESPN, Fox News and more to forthcoming live service – November 1, 2016
Apple’s Eddy Cue: Nope, we don’t want to be Netflix – October 20, 2016
Google signs up CBS for planned web TV service to debut in early 2017; close to deal with 21st Century Fox – October 20, 2016
Apple’s Eddy Cue: Nope, we don’t want to be Netflix – October 20, 2016
Apple’s Eddy Cue alienated cable providers and networks with an assertive negotiating style – report – July 28, 2016
Here comes á la carte programming – without Apple – July 13, 2016
Apple TV 4 is a beta product and, if you bought one, you’re an unpaid beta tester – November 5, 2015
Define success. Netflix is burning cash. Apple should just buy Netflix for pennies on the dollar once the rat race with Amazon is over.
I’d be very surprised if another streaming company could buy Netflix and be allowed to stream the titles that Netflix were showing.
Media contracts are often written in such a way that the rights can’t be transferred to another company.
Besides, apart from Beats, Apple doesn’t usually buy companies that the man in the street has heard of. Apple usually buys small companies with special expertise which Apple can use.
Apple also doesn’t usually enter a market where they can not leapfrog the competition and don’t have a very good profit margin. I don’t think they can leapfrog the competition and I don’t think they can realise a decent profit margin in this market. This feels more like a defensive play, Ballmer style.
Agree with MDN take, Eddy Cue is a whole lot of FAT and a waste of precious space. Under Steve Jobs Eddy hauled his ass (did work) but since the death of Steve Jobs Eddy is in retirement in practice despite official titles
“Just keep feckless Eddy far away from the pitch meetings.”
Better yet, fire his ass & hire or promote someone more competent
Tim, let HBO make the content. Why don’t you get off your ass and get us a proper workstation (not an iMac on steroids).
Just hire Vince Gilligan to write and produce the first show then put him in charge of new programming.
Keep telling Eddy, “the keg is in the other room,” and he won’t be around to influence.
I believe it’s very hard for a company to do something where the very top have no clue about it. How is Tim Cook, Eddy cue going to green light a project when they (paraphrasing Steve Jobs) have “no taste” as can be seen from Planet of the Apps, the projected ‘sex romp’ of Dr. Dre’s life mini series etc.
If Cook was to allow his underlings to DO WHAT THEY WANT without supervision then you will have (as happened) Jony Ive spending one and half years (according to Reuters etc) designing DOOR HANDLES for the new Campus and Coffee table books while Macs rot (until the recently turn around with Kaby Lake macs, the whole line was in a mess and Pro macs are still missing)
Will the new TV hires if not supervised properly go and develop some crazy ‘artsy’ ‘pet’ series (like Ive’s door handles) that everybody else has rejected but Cook and Eddy are too dumb to do so?
I was an art director, let me tell you if artists are NOT SUPERVISED they will go into all kinds of crazy ‘personal vision’ directions. One artist I had was into Heavy Metal and he wanted to put Heavy Metal grunge designs on EVERYTHING even ‘kleenex type’ tissue boxes, food packaging …
Remember Jobs had arguments with Ive and even rejected Ive’s initial iPhone designs. Jobs had also rejected Fadell’s ‘iPod’ iPhone as well…. (think about it, Fadell due to iPod was Apple King then, if not for Steve we might have a click wheel iPhone… )
Apple should buy Pixar.
Doh!!!