Apple doesn't want exclusive sporting events on its streaming platform

While next Monday doesn't arrive, we stand here wondering what Apple's main areas of action will be on its upcoming platform. streaming. The part of the films and series is already very well designed, as well as the possible partnerships with other platforms, but there is a segment that nobody knows yet how to be treated (if any): sports.

A recent issue of Sports Illustrated has shown that Ma is in fact aware of this market but has no intention of becoming a competitor of consolidated networks such as ESPN or FOX Sports ie there is no plan at Apple to gain exclusive rights to transmission of games. The idea that is much more directed to the curatorship area, where the user can gather their streaming sports and know what's good live or going on soon.

The report details Apple's "sports watch room," a room within its Results Way office complex in Cupertino. There, a number of employees spend most of their days monitoring broadcasts of all kinds of sports from major football and football events, playing small tennis, college lacrosse and even curling matches.

The idea is to make the experience more enriching for subscribers of sports platforms in the Apple TV app, and send notifications of important moments or of interest. With constant monitoring of what happens in the sports world, the Apple team can warn a tennis-keen user that an absolutely phenomenal match between two relatively unfamiliar players is underway, for example.

Apple Sports RoomApple's “Sports Room” | Image: Sports Illustrated

Based on this activity, Ma's senior vice president of software and internet services, Eddy Cue, explained why Apple stayed away from exclusive agreements:

You can't get everything, so at some point you need to solve some other problems. You cannot design only the intention to obtain rights because if that is the only thing you do, you will always remain small. And currently, Apple rarely small.

If you want my opinion, Apple's position in this case is positive: it's much better that it acts as a "supervisor", embracing content from all sources, than as a competitor we all know how horrible when broadcasters decide to fight for broadcast rights. from some tournament and we are required to use Facebook to see a Champions League game, for example.

So it's cheering for Apple to be able to further enhance its role and expand it to other countries, too.

Five series already filmed

Still talking about the platform of streaming of hand New York Times It has recently revealed that five of the series announced (unofficially, it should be noted) for the service have already been filmed.

Just them: the suspense “Are You Sleeping?”with Octavia Spencer; the space drama “For All Mankind”, commanded by Ronald D. Moore; O thriller supernatural of M. Night Shyamalan, still unnamed; the comedy (also unnamed) with Charlie Day and Rob McElhenney; and finally the biographical drama Dickinsonin which Hailee Steinfeld lives writer Emily Dickinson.

Octavia spencerOctavia spencer

Other productions, such as the dramatic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, are in the final stages of production. It is good to note that the end of filming does not mean that the series are already ready yet it is necessary to carry out the whole post-production process (editing, sounding, effects and more), which is usually the longest part of audiovisual.

If this information means anything, we will hardly see Apple's original productions immediately. Either the company will announce its platform with an even more or less debut date (for the third quarter, for example), or the service will debut only with external content. At least, however, the company will be able to show a preview of some of its productions at next Monday's event.

Other details about the service

If the discussion about what “guy” has the service of streaming From Apple, other sources already give an idea of ​​at least a part of the story.

O Financial times, for example, published a report stating that Apple adopts an opposite strategy of Netflix In the world of original content this, rather than the plan to release a huge amount of content to always remain at the epicenter of world affairs, Apple would rather focus on developing a smaller number of series and movies, with greater care in quality of each production.

Speaking of the "other part" of the platform, the one that refers to the non-original content, the same report stated that Apple is holding talks with producers and studios to varying degrees of success. THE CBS / Viacom, for example, is already close to Ma to license its productions, which include series and films from Paramount, MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central.

On the other hand, negotiations with WarnerMedia They did not avenge. The conglomerate owns the production rights of Warner Bros., DC Entertainment, Cartoon Network, New Line Cinema, Cinemax, CNN and more, but seems to have rejected Apple's offerings for a platform for streaming own THE HBO, in turn, are still in talks with Apple.

One of the problems for Apple's producers and studios, according to the report, Ma's obsession with secrets and the consequent difficulty in devising a clear strategy for potential partners is no way to talk about future plans if it is not possible to reveal any details of Apple's plans. present after all. Despite this, the Cupertino giant seems to be striving not to be seen as "a difficult company to work for," as the report said.

No advertising, apparently

Finally, another detail about the platform was shared by MediaPost: Apparently, one problem we won't have to deal with in "Apple Video" is the swarm of advertisements. Bye, Bettina!

According to the story, Apple really plans to offer a portion of its content for free, open to all users of the Apple TV app; Even in these cases, viewers will be able to watch the original Ma productions without any interruption for advertisements. The same goes, of course, for the series and movies available only on the paid part of the platform.

At least that, isn't it?

via Cult of Mac; AppleInsider: 1, 2