Apple has met with top Hollywood talent to discuss its long-awaited foray into original programming, in an attempt to sew the seeds of new, exclusive shows for iTunes and Apple TV.
Fast Company reports that Apple hosted series of low-key meetings in the “iTunes Lounge” at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, to discuss deals with industry professionals. A source says that Apple wants to work with “triple A-list” talent, presumably in an attempt to rival the original programming already provided by services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
It’s all very hush-hush so far, with zero publicity and producers asked to refer to Apple as “the United Fruit Company” for the sake of secrecy. We know that Apple has dipped its toes into original content before, working on projects with the likes of VICE and Dr. Dre. Talks in the iTunes Lounge seem to be about a second type of programming, though – more conventional TV shows and perhaps films. Apple intend to “build up a roster of must-see shows available only on its platform.”
This could be a big push to encourage consumers to pick up an Apple TV, especially if it could run alongside Apple’s long-delayed TV streaming service.