Apple Wants to Produce More Creative Original Content

This really is the golden age of original creative content! It seems like all the major companies are trying to get a piece of the action. First we had companies like General Electric and State Farm sponsoring original creative podcasts, then Facebook decided to try to give TV a run for its money, and now Apple has decided to casually throw $1 billion in spending towards film and TV in the next year. I say casually because Apple makes billions in profit a year, so it really seems like a small side project for them with the potential to have a lot of success.

Other companies who make original creative content plan on spending much more this next year. This includes Netflix, who intends on spending $7 billion on content ($1 billion more than last year). Amazon is expected to spend about $4.5 billion on content for Prime Video, and Time Warner’s HBO about $2 billion.

However, Apple will still be doing just fine, regardless of how successful their video content will be. A comparably small part of their budget, they have set this $1 billion aside to become a buyer of premium entertainment. They have the capability to acquire 10 high-caliber television shows and they are exploring prospects already. They have even hired some big names to make this happen.

In June, Apple hired two past presidents of Sony Pictures Television: Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht. These two were responsible for hit shows like “Breaking Bad,” “The Blacklist,” and “The Goldbergs.” To work underneath these two, Apple has also hired the past general manager and president of Tribune Studios and WGN America, Matt Cherniss.

So far, Apple has dabbled in original video content to supplement the Apple Music subscription service with shows like “Planet of the Apps” and “Carpool Karaoke.” Critics did not like either of those very much. But with the new budget and new team, I think it’s safe to say we will be expecting some big shows from Apple in the upcoming year.

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