Apple TV wants to go big

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In 2022, Apple He won an Oscar. The company behind the Mac and iPhone had a huge success by winning Best Picture with the independent film Codaa remake of a Franco-Belgian film about the only hearing member of a struggling fishing family. It was produced on a modest budget of around $10 million, but despite its relatively humble beginnings, the film was for a time a showpiece for one of the world’s most valuable companies and its fledgling push into the world of film and television.

success Coda Indicative of Apple’s streaming service as a whole. Although it received accolades and respect, it was not a huge success. Awards do not necessarily equal viewership. Although Apple TV has many popular shows and movies, they have yet to translate to a large portion of the streaming market.

Since its debut in 2019, Apple TV has been largely a curiosity, an effort focused more on prestige than size and profits. While other streaming companies compete for market share, Apple seemed content to use its own streaming service to boost its image. The result is that the service has generated little significant traffic for years and has suffered from a dearth of content compared to its competitors. Unlike Netflix or Disney, Apple hasn’t tried to bolster its library by bidding up streaming rights to established films like friends or The office. Instead it focused mainly on original programming that you can’t get anywhere else.

It took several years of more failures than successes to get to where Apple is now: a relatively small streaming service that nevertheless boasts a strong lineup. For television, which meant primarily prestige dramas, Especially in the field of science fictionwith exhilarating adaptations such as a space odyssey institutionbeloved hits like a surreal mystery box to cut, And more recent successes such as End of the world drama For many from Very bad Creator Vince Gilligan. At the same time, her film list included the likes Coda Along with new films from prominent and influential directors including Spike Lee, Sofia Coppola, and Martin Scorsese (who also appeared in Apple’s Hollywood satire). studio, Which dominated the Emmy Awards this year). There have certainly been some losers (see: Valley and Large), but the focus on quality above metrics has at least helped Apple carve out a niche in a very crowded space.

But this could change. Perhaps buoyed by the mainstream success of Ted Lassoor a push from higher-ups for a higher return on investment, Apple has made some moves recently that seem clearly aimed at bringing its streaming service to a much larger audience.

First, it has a new name, Moving from Apple TV Plus to Apple TV is simple. It may just be a matter of removing one word – thus giving the service a simpler title – but Apple is promoting it as something much bigger, calling it a “vibrant new identity”. Apple then did its best to make this point clear: The company hired composer (and Billie Eilish’s brother) Finneas to craft a new intro sound Which is played before every show and movie, and even its making A new intro sequence created using real glass.

Perhaps most illustrative of this new push are a pair of deals Apple recently announced. Starting in October, you can get the service bundled with Peacockwhich on the surface seems like a strange combination. On the Apple side, you have prestige dramas like the spy thriller Slow horsesAnd with Peacock you have reality TV like Love Island. But it’s actually a smart game. Instead of filling supposed holes in its library by licensing network TV shows, Apple is teaming up with another streaming company that offers many of the things it doesn’t. It’s like subscribing to cable for both HBO and NBC.

There is similar thinking behind Apple has acquired exclusive US broadcast rights to Formula 1 races. Live programming, and sports in particular, is the next frontier in live streaming, which is why everyone seems to be getting into it. Netflix has it boxing and NFLwhile Amazon streams hockey, basketball, and also the NFL. Apple made its first big move into the space with Deal with Major League Soccer Which He got a big boost when Lionel Messi decided to ply his trade in Miami. and Starting next year, MLS matches will become part of your basic Apple TV subscriptionAvailable at no additional cost.

But a five-year deal with Formula 1 is a much bigger game, as it means exclusive rights to the highest level of a given sport (sorry, MLS fans). As with Major League Soccer in 2026, Formula 1 will be available as part of the standard service alongside to kidnap and Shrink. (This partnership also comes on the heels of Apple’s biggest movie success to date, Brad Pitt’s.) F1 movie. Synergy!)

and As with most streamersThis expanded content library also included a price hike; In August Apple TV subscription increased by $3 per monthhigh demand for a limited menu service compared to its contemporaries. Meanwhile, there are some questions about the types of software Apple wants to offer, which typically avoids controversy. Jon Stewart had disagreements about what topics he could cover on his show, This is said to be the reason for its expiration in 2023and the postponed series Savant — A thrilling story about domestic terrorism – It still doesn’t have a premiere date, though it’s set to air in September. Apple still lists it as “coming soon.”

In and of themselves, none of these moves are particularly significant. But together they signal a shift in the way Apple TV is positioned, a clear attempt to expand on the service’s existing base and reach new, larger audiences.

But don’t expect Apple to stop chasing awards and fancy names. Tim Cook sure loves posing while holding his Emmy, and who can blame him; Not many tech CEOs get this opportunity. Apple tends to portray itself as a provider of high-quality goods and experiences, and its famous names and awards drive that message into the entertainment world.

So instead, changes to Apple TV will almost certainly remain gradual. Another sports deal here, a new series with mainstream appeal there. Heck, Although there is a very clear ending in its third season, Ted Lasso Come back for moreas Apple does not want to give up its most widely attractive series. The streamer isn’t straying far from what’s worked so far, but… He is Looking to enhance it.

The real question is what the Apple TV will look like in a year or two. Right now, it’s not the biggest live streamer, but it has a distinctive and curated output. Netflix is ​​the most established company in this space in terms of pure subscriber numbers, and has managed to do reasonably well at attracting all possible audiences, expanding from things like Strange things to Boxing matches and Live talent shows. But for most others, this strategy has proven to be a struggle. Just look at what happened when HBO tried to become Max.

Apple will need to balance this push for a larger audience with its core strength of premium programming. That’s why the company is taking these small steps towards new audiences, rather than changing things completely. The Apple TV may have lost the extra edge, but its future depends on not losing what makes it special, too.