Apple is reportedly looking to purchase a catalog of older movies and series to bolster its Apple TV+ offering. As we discussed on the Daily Observations podcast on Tuesday, this is going to be difficult and might not even work. Luke Filopwicz expressed a similar view on iMore.
The great thing about Apple TV+ having only original content (especially brand-new content) is that it allowed Apple to launch its programming in every country that could access Apple TV+. Licensed content doesn’t let you do that without some headaches…. The best thing that could happen for Apple is if they somehow produce a mega-hit show — think Game of Thrones level of fandom — that becomes part of popular culture. Of course, doing that is pretty damn hard and every other network and streaming service is trying to do the exact same thing.
Check It Out: Apple TV+: Why Purchasing Old Movies And Shows Might Not be The Answer
Charlotte:
I’m calling ‘clickbate’ on this one (not yours but Luke Filopwicz).
The piece may as well be titled, ‘Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, if you’re Apple TV+’.
This is a writer clearly either uninformed, and certainly cognitively uninfluenced, by the Second Law of Thermodynamics (and why should he be?). There is no free lunch; there is a cost to every decision and every action. It sucks, but that’s just how life, the universe and everything works.
As we’ve discussed before, yes, Apple need a runaway hit. Their competition, many of whom have been at this far longer than Apple, have scored at least one or a few. However, what they have also smartly done is to create catalogues of prefab content, shows and movies that the viewer has not only already seen, but demonstrably liked with their wallet. Apple, by relying only on original content is running this race with one leg tied and no trainers.
True, by licensing content is complicated and there might be the odd sticky wicket. However, airing proven content is an attractant, like the smell of fresh baked bread, that gets consumers into the Apple TV+ space, and, whilst there, why sample some of these other items that one has never tried. This in turn generates buzz for discovery by trend leaders. This is marketing 101. Relying on original content only puts the onus of success on original content, and how do you get eyeballs to unproven material?
This is precisely what some of us have called for. Good on Apple for trying, and guess what? If it doesn’t work, Apple can cancel those non-originals or pursue others of known appeal.
No enterprise has ever failed because of an abundance of options.
Well it might be the answer, at least for the next year or so because except for animation almost no one is creating new content.