M.G. Siegler, in this Medium post:
No less than Steve Jobs himself said to Walter Isaacson in interviews for his biography that Apple had “finally cracked it” with regard to what they wanted to do in television.
That was six years ago. We’re still waiting to see the fruits of that labor. It’s starting to feel like we may never see them.
And:
We’re now seeing what Apple thinks it must do: compete with Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc. Apple spent a bunch of time suggesting they would not take this approach. Their original content was all about promoting Apple Music or whatnot. But you don’t hire these two guys if you’re not going all-in on content.
And by “these two guys”, M.G. is referring to Apple’s hiring of former Sony Executives Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg (the production team behind mega-hits such as Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and The Crown which, in my mind, is about as original as TV content gets).
More from M.G.:
If Apple can build a viable Netflix competitor, they’ll have decidedly more leverage. But they also run the risk of alienating the powers-that-be in Hollywood, just as Netflix turned from friend (licensing their old content) to foe (bidding for the first-run premium content).
Part of the challenge for Apple is putting up an ecosystem fence around Apple TV. They’ve been unable to negotiate the kind of terms that allowed iTunes to flip the music industry on its head. And Apple does not own a critical mass of content to pursue a Netflix-like strategy. Will “these two guys” be the start of the next generation Apple TV original content?
I like the play, looking forward to watching what emerges.
As a customer, this isn’t very interesting to me. Seems like a “me too” business move designed to make Apple Music more appealing and isn’t in the spirit of Tim Cook’s “laser focus” statements. Other guys already do original content very well. What is Apple going to add here?
B.S.
I’m no fan of Apple’s original programming efforts as a s/h and fan. But I’m also not freaking out because I’m reasonably certain no one in Apple’s leadership “thinks it must” compete with Netflix, et al.
Pretty sure Apple is focused on doing what it’s been doing: continue to provide customers with the best hardware and software experience. It’s an experience that for a long, long time has provided its customers with access to more content than any single content provider, like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc, can match on its own.
I think the “finally cracked it” quote is probably erroneous, and another sign that Isaacson didn’t understand what was going on.
We’re already seeing how some newer providers learn to coexist and partner with conduits that also create their own programming.
More competition is generally good for customers.
“Part of the challenge for Apple is putting up an ecosystem fence around Apple TV.”
Which is the wrong play. I want ATV to be a best in class streamer that let’s me access everything and presents it in a way that’s radically better than any other streamer. Additionally, I would love it to add things that aren’t related to streaming but which only work well if I’ve other Apple stuff… HomeKit integration and the ATV acting as a hub are a start.
Part of the problem right now is that I have a TV app…but it’s ONLY TV. Music? Different app.
For content? Buy Netflix if volume is your issue. $67b market cap. Apple could easily pay a premium. But I don’t think they should as I don’t think content volume is their issue – the Sony guys are likely there not to build out tons of content that everyone else has but to create Apple’s answers to series like Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, GoT and the like. That is, some flagship content that people will want and will act as a tipping point.
Are you referring to complimentary content? If that’s the case I agree.
I was referring to Siegler’s second footnote: “At which point, attempt five may well be buying Netflix. Attempt six may be buying a cable company…”
That is the kind of direct competition I imagine will cause Apple problems and potentially reduce the number of content partners (apps) on the platform.
I don’t know what you mean by “complementary” content. Whether Netflix and Apple release same-genre or prestige shows simultaneously has little specific bearing on my ability to find great shows of any genre.
Any company that buys Netflix potentially decreases competition, no? Increasing competition requires more players in a sector, not the same or fewer.
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