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Apple has committed more than $ 6 billion for original shows and movies in anticipation of the launch of its new video streaming service, a massive budget designed to catch up with AT & T's Netflix, Disney and HBO.
The iPhone maker is preparing its breakthrough in the media for years, after hiring Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, two well-known leaders of Sony Pictures Television, to lead the charge in 2017.
The two men were initially armed with $ 1 billion to order original content during their first year, but the budget has increased and the total committed to date has exceeded $ 6 billion, according to people close by folder.
The company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars alone in a series of stars composed of Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell titled The morning show. According to people familiar with the subject, this amounts to a higher price per episode than Game of thrones, which would have cost $ 15 million for each episode of his last season.
Morning Show meets sci-fi drama See, which includes Aquaman star Jason Momoa and is written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, one of the most expensive shows of the slate Apple.
Apple is looking to create an original programming library to deal with more established competitors such as Netflix. While Apple's budget remains well below Netflix's $ 15 billion cash-based spending this year, its more generous terms of payment allow it to win contracts in Hollywood.
Unlike Netflix, which often pays content creators over several years, Apple pays earlier in the production process, once certain milestones are met, according to people familiar with its approach.
The company's new TV + service will go live in the next two months, according to those informed of its plans, in an effort to prevent the launch of Disney Plus, which has announced plans to make its debut in the US November 12th. Apple and Disney have released Monday new trailers for their competing services.
Apple has not yet revealed tariffs or other key information regarding the TV + subscription service, but added that new content would be added every month after the launch of the service in more than 100 countries . Consistent with Apple's reputation for privacy of product launches, the company has provided little information about the timing and details of the streaming service, even to studios whose shows will appear in the new video package.
Apple's folly has raised the bar for TV shows, according to industry leaders. Apple declined to comment.
This latest attempt follows several false starts of Apple in the television sector over the last ten years.
The launch of TV + comes as Apple, led by CEO Tim Cook, seeks to strengthen the company's multimedia and cloud services and reduce its dependence on the iPhone. The company aims to reach $ 50 billion in service revenue by 2020.
In his last call for results, Mr. Cook stated that he expected most people "to get several [streaming] products, "adding that" we will do our best to convince them that the Apple TV + product should be part of it ".
Under the direction of the services, Eddy Cue, MM. Erlicht and Van Amburg formed a team of media veterans in Apple's growing offices in Los Angeles, Culver City.
In March, Apple hosted a celebrity event, where Hollywood heavyweights, including Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, joined Cook on stage to promote the streaming service. "They have a billion pockets," Winfrey said of Apple, announcing plans for new documentaries and live-club programs that will be exclusive to the iPhone maker.
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