It’s the rumour that just refuses to go away, but is this finally proof that Apple is working on its own original TV content?
With the iPhone and iPad maker having long been tipped to prepping its own Netflix-rivalling video streaming service, Apple executive Jimmy Iovine has now added fuel to the fire by discussing the proposed move.
“At Apple Music, what we’re trying to create is an entire cultural, pop cultural experience, and that happens to include audio and video,” he told reporters at the Television Critics Association winter press tour at the weekend.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, he added: “If South Park walks into my office, I am not going to say you’re not musicians, you know?
“We’re going to do whatever hits popular culture smack on the nose. We’re going to try.”
Related: 5 Things Apple must do to win the streaming war
Iovine, who was speaking during promotion for his new HBO documentary, The Defiant Ones, joined Apple with Dr. Dre during Apple’s $3 billion takeover over Beats back in 2014.
The former music mogul’s comments come just days after a Wall Street Journal report suggested Apple could launch its video streaming service before the end of the year.
According to the WSJ, the new content creation and streaming push would allow Apple to offset “slowing sales of iPhones and iPads.”
It’s believed that the new, bespoke TV and movie content would sit alongside music on Apple’s existing streaming service, with the company already believed to be in talks with “veteran producers” around certain projects.
Related: Apple Music review
Despite Apple having yet to comment on the claims, the tech giant recently acquired the rights to James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke, with a new 16 part series to feature a number of celebrity hosts.
It is unclear if Apple’s proposed move into movie and TV streaming would affect the current £9.99 per month Apple Music charge.
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Would you ditch Netflix for an Apple streaming service? Let us know below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
