In a sit-down interview with Sway’s Kara Swisher, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about many facets of Apple’s business — including the company’s plan for Apple TV+.
When Swisher broached the subject of Netflix, Cook said he had little interest in competing with the streaming giant. “We’re about making the best, not the most,” Cook said, “and so in the TV Plus area, we’re about originals only on Apple.”
Cook doubled down on the notion of Apple’s content focus, saying “Yes, and we’re putting all of ourselves into it. It is not a hobby. It is not a dip your toe in. Because it’s an original focus, we don’t instantly have a catalog with 500 things in it.”
Apple TV+’s content library is an interesting case. While shows like the pandemic hit “Ted Lasso” have done well for the service, the platform’s other shows haven’t matched them — including Apple TV+’s feature series, “The Morning Show,” which received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. There have been recent successes in the form of “Greyhound,” the Tom Hanks-powered World War II thriller, and “Defending Jacob,” the Chris Evans-led project based on a real story of one man’s struggle between his job and his family. The well-received programs haven’t translated to paying subscribers, though.
It was revealed earlier this year that the majority of the platform’s subscribers don’t even pay for the service — they got it for free with the purchase of a new Apple device. Worse yet, 29 percent of those free subscribers won’t renew once their free trial is up.
Despite these rough waters, though, Apple is continuing to invest in its content library. The company nabbed Keira Knightley for two projects, including a starring role in, “The Essex Serpent,” and we’re also expecting new projects from Oprah Winfrey and Jon Stewart.
No matter how much money Cook and his company pump into their streaming service, though, he doesn’t see himself as just a studio. “I’m not a Hollywood guy,” Cook said. “But Kara, I love great content.”
Related: 10 Best Shows on Apple TV+
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Ted Lasso
August 14, 2020Ted Lasso, an American football coach, moves to England when he’s hired to manage a soccer team—despite having no experience. With cynical players and a doubtful town, will he get them to see the Ted Lasso Way?
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Defending Jacob
April 24, 2020A family’s lives are irreparably disrupted when the 14-year-old son is accused of murdering a fellow classmate.
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Greyhound
July 9, 2020A first-time captain leads a convoy of allied ships carrying thousands of soldiers across the treacherous waters of the “Black Pit” to the front lines of WWII. With no air cover protection for 5 days, the captain and his convoy must battle the surrounding enemy Nazi U-boats in order to give the allies a chance to win the war.
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The Morning Show
November 1, 2019A behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the men and women who carry out this daily televised ritual.
