Apple Met Paramount and Sony Executives Last Week as it Flirts With Original Content
 

Apple senior executive Eddy Cue, who oversees services such as iTunes and Apple Music, held discussions last week with Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures, two of the biggest film studios in Hollywood, according to the New York Post, but the iPhone maker's exact ambitions in the content space are still uncertain.

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The report suggested Apple is looking for a "transformative acquisition" and "**t just a deal to buy TV shows," while an unnamed source is quoted as vaguely saying Apple is "preparing something big."

Apple has so far only flirted with original content, which it plans to distribute through Apple Music starting later this year.

It acquired the rights to Carpool Karaoke, for example, the popular segment from The Late Late Show with James Corden, which it plans to reboot as a ****** of sixteen half-hour episodes on Apple Music. The trailer for the show revealed it has a similar format of celebrity pairings singing along while driving.

Likewise, Apple's upcoming reality TV ****** Planet of the Apps will be released on a weekly basis in the Spring. On the show, hosted by Beats 1 radio host Zane Lowe, app developers compete for venture capital while receiving mentorship from influencers Gary Vaynerchuk, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, and will.i.am.

Apple has sent mixed signals to Hollywood about its interest in original programming over the past few years, according to The Information.

Last year, it said Apple has met with film studios and producers about developing original TV shows to offer exclusively on iTunes, but services chief Eddy Cue later said Apple is "**t in the business of trying to create TV shows." Instead, Cue said Apple is willing to offer producers suggestions and guidance where possible.

We're **t in the business of trying to create TV shows. If we see it being complementary to the things we're doing at Apple Music or if we see it being something that's in**vative on our platform, we may help them and guide them and make suggestions. But we're **t trying to compete with Netflix or compete with Comcast.

The report added that Apple is **t interested in getting into expensive bidding wars over content with rivals such as Netflix and Amazon.

The Wall Street Journal recently said Apple plans to "build a significant new business in original television shows and ******," which it compared to the likes of HBO's Westworld and Netflix's Stranger Things. It agreed that Apple is **t looking to compete with Netflix, but rather promote Apple Music.

"In terms of original content, we've put our toe in the water doing some original content for Apple Music, and that will be rolling out throughout the year," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, on a conference call following the company's most recent earnings results. "We're learning from that and we'll go from there."

Reports outlining Apple's interest in original content have gained momentum over the past few years alongside the iPhone maker's much rumored but since shelved plans for a streaming TV service in the United States.
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