Malcolm Owen
While Apple TV+ has a reputation for micromanagement, it seems that it's not as bad as it once was. At least, so long as you're not damaging Apple's brand image.
As a streaming service, Apple TV+ is far from a massive powerhouse like Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video. It's certainly a big play by Apple into the streaming arena, and to a point, it's worked.
In a wide-ranging discussion about Apple TV+, the Los Angeles Times writes about the service, Apple's ambitions, and how its fared so far. Overall, the article indicates that Apple TV+ is doing well in many areas, but it can do better.
One of those ways in providing more creative control to those who make shows and films for it.
Talent-forward and supportive
While Apple hasn't the massive audience numbers of its rivals, its efforts and high spending have led to a lot of success. Part of this is due to simply putting considerable sums towards projects headed up by major stars.
This started with "The Morning Show" with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, but then continued with projects involving Jon Hamm and others. More recent releases include "The Gorge" staring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Brad Pitt in a teaser image for 'F1,' - Image Credit: AppleThen there's "F1," the Brad Pitt vehicle that will be released in theaters in June. A theatrical release handled by Warner Bros., it is expected to be similar to "Top Gun: Maverick" in nature, and possibly in terms of success.
That said, other Apple TV+ movies with major stars have flopped in cinemas, like "Argylle" and "Killers of the Flower Moon."
Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian says it's a "huge movie for Apple," and that it had managed to pick a perfect project that can increase both its filmmaking acumen and relationships with filmmakers.
The big bets have, at least, earned Apple goodwill with filmmakers. This is especially so given Apple has moved from a position of micromanagement to one where it's more supportive.
The Owen Wilson-fronted "Stick" was budgeted high enough for the show to travel to North Carolina for filming, explains executive producer Ben Silverman. The move allowed the show to access golf commentators Trevor Immelman and Jim Nantz, who were there during the PGA Tour.
Silverman acknowledged that streaming platforms in general are supportive of creators at the moment. However, not all have the bandwidth available to go as deep as Apple on any individual project, because it's not doing that many projects in the first place.
Tomorrow Studios president Becky Clements claims she was grateful for Apple agreeing to take on "Physical." As an original piece, it's a tricky thing for studios to pull off in the marketplace, Clements adds.
Despite it including difficult material, Clements praised Apple with supporting the filmmakers and avoiding micromanagement.
A change of micromanaging heart, depending on who you are
Apple hasn't always been this way, as it previously had the image of meddling with show production. This was evident with "The Problem with Jon Stewart," as it stepped in to dictate what topics the show should avoid, before its cancellation.
In April 2024, Stewart alleged that Apple told him not to speak to FTC Chair Lina Khan on a podcast. He also claimed that Apple wouldn't allow the discussion of AI as a topic on the show either.
"Why are they so afraid to even have these conversations out in the public sphere?" Stewart asked at the time.
The cancellation and the rumors that Apple wouldn't talk about China due to its relationship with the country prompted a House of Representatives Select Committee to write to CEO Tim Cook for more information about it.
Even after that situation, there have been murmurs that Apple has still wanted to offer constructive criticism to productions, similar to a traditional studio's notes.
During an interview in March about "The Studio," star and co-creator Seth Rogen revealed that there was still some criticism from the company during production.
Apple expressed concern in pre-production about cameos that the show wanted, doubting that they would happen. The production proved Apple wrong, with it managing to get almost all of its cameo wishlist fulfilled.
The show also had to deal with feedback from Apple during production itself, but this too was practically ignored. The show's frequent use of "oners," long and uninterrupted shots with a single camera, made it practically impossible to fulfill any constructive feedback.
Ignoring the feedback worked for the show, as it has been praised in reviews by critics and viewers alike.
Small fish, crowded pond
The audience of Apple TV+ can be best described as small, or more charitably, selective in their choice of subscriptions. In the face of the 300-pound gorilla of streaming, Netflix, Apple TV+ looks positively tiny.
According to Wedbush Securities managing director Daniel Ives, Apple TV+ is estimated to have a "disappointing" 57 million subscribers. Ives proposes that Wall Street would be happier to see the subscriber count at over 100 million by this point in its life.
Part of the problem, the article offers, is the general lack of content compared to its competition. While Disney, Warner Bros, and Netflix have massive catalogs of content, both in terms of back catalogs and of newly-produced shows and films, Apple simply doesn't have the breadth available to it.
Ives compares Apple's service as building a mansion but lacking the furniture to fill it.
It's also an expensive operation for Apple, with it reportedly losing the company $1 billion per year. To a company that brings in tens of billions of dollars in revenue each quarter, it's a small amount of the pie, but it's still a massive amount of money.
To Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos in a March interview, he didn't understand why Apple operates Apple TV+ how it does. "I don't understand it beyond a marketing play," Sarandos offered. "Maybe they see some thing we don't."
Growing the audience
Despite still being a costly enterprise for Apple, it's still pushing forward with trying to get more eyeballs watching its content. While major shows such as a new season of "Severance" have helped bump up subscriber numbers, it has tried over actions as well.
This included opening itself up to subscriptions sold through Amazon. According to Antenna, approximately 30% of its sign-ups in February were via Amazon Channels.
It has also temporarily offered price cuts, as a juicy carrot for new subscribers.
Apple is also preparing for the future of the service and its productions, also at a high cost. Four years after buying land in Culver City, Los Angeles, it has started construction on two new studios and office space, which should be operational by 2026.
Though Apple has reportedly been taking other steps to trim budgets and stem the losses, the service still seems to have a big future. With construction underway and high levels of funding for productions despite the cuts, Apple still believes Apple TV+ will succeed in its own way.
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Marko Zivkovic
Christine McKee
Andrew Orr
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9 Comments
This narrative, that Apple micromanages, sounds batshit insane. What is the media, studios and filmmakers expecting here? How is it different from anything else? I find it hard to believe that Netflix or Amazon gives film makers complete freedom.
If you have a contract or are funded with tens to hundreds of millions of dollars, in what world are you not subject to review and possible changes with how you are spending money? A lot of times I just don't understand these media narratives. They ask us to take leave of our senses.
If you give a company 50k to go build a pool or renovate your house, you totally expect to understand how your money is being spent, right? Right?
Some film-makers have earned a kind of carte-blanche on how they spend their money, but they still have limits. They still need to convince the people with money that they will have a good product.