“Apple Inc. is targeting prestigious awards for an upcoming slate of original movies and TV shows, demonstrating grand Hollywood ambitions for a video streaming service that will compete with Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and established studios, according to people familiar with the plans,” Anousha Sakoui and Mark Gurman report for Bloomberg. “The Cupertino, California-based technology giant is hiring strategists to help craft campaigns for entertainment industry awards, including Hollywood’s highest prizes like the Oscars and Emmys, the people said.”
“Apple is forming a team of people with awards strategy experience. In January, it hired one such person from Walt Disney Co.’s television group,” Sakoui and Gurman report. “The iPhone maker is also seeking a high-level candidate to oversee the process, one of the people familiar with the situation said. The company could be in the running for Emmy awards as early as 2020, according to people familiar with the process.”
“Winning top prizes can draw consumers to subscribe to streaming services. It also attracts higher-profile directors and actors,” Sakoui and Gurman report. “Apple will charge for some content, while other video will be free for Apple device users.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s widely expected, givent eh roster of talent that Apple has assembled, that the compnay would seek prestigious awards. This is the confirmation. As for the free stuff, hopefully, it extends beyond Carpool Karaoke and shiteous Planet of the Apps reruns.
I have predicted for years that online media would be the new cinema, with the exception of expensive tentpole pictures. The kinds of films people used to go to are now only considered TV fare and not worth the expense and bother of seeing in the cinema. Spielberg is fighting an uphill battle though I supported the backlash against ROMA, a dull unentertaining movie prominently featuring dog poop if there ever was one. A movie you will only regret watching once so hardly repeat watching Best Picture material.
Still I am not totally happy with Netflix, Amazon, Apple, etc. offerings ending up on the nominations list. In some ways it looks like a cheap way for some companies to earn Oscars who previously never had a chance.