There’s a show for that: Apple's first original TV series is about apps
Apple announced through the New York Times that the company’s first show will “spotlight the app economy.” Apple didn’t offer any details about the show’s content, though the company said it was working with TV executives Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens, and entertainer Will.i.am, who you might remember was a spokesperson for the Puls smartwatch bracelet “cuff.”
Apple vice president Eddy Cue told the Times that, “This doesn’t mean that we are going into a huge amount of movie production or TV production or anything like that.” He also said that Apple would look into projects that are similar to the TV series about apps.
The project is Apple’s first outside of the music realm. The company also announced on Thursday that it will have exclusive access to The Score, a six-part documentary series by Vice that showcases local music scenes. Last December, the company had an exclusive showing of Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour concert in Sydney, Australia. And last February, reports indicated that Dr. Dre is working on video project dubbed Vital Signs for Apple Music. (Whether or not Dr. Dre’s project will have an orgy scene has yet to be offically confirmed.)
Why this matters: Many analysts and pundits believe that Apple needs to create original Apple TV programming if the company want to stay relevant in the market. If Apple’s announcements today are any indication, the company is taking a different approach than Amazon, Netflix, or Hulu, whose catalogs are mostly filled with fictional content. Cue’s statements seem to indicate that Apple is going in the direction that helps the company’s marketing efforts. Considering the popularity of many of the streaming shows, this seems like a risky approach that may not appeal to a large audience.