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Apple Planning To Make Original TV Shows and Movies as Hardware Sales Soften (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the money-power dept.

While investors seem to remain optimistic about the future of Apple, it's no secret that sales of its iconic hardware products have flatlined or fallen over the past year. From a report: We'll have to wait until January 31 to find out how the company performed over the critical holiday period. But for the moment, its most promising category of revenue has been "services," which includes things like Apple Music, and has been on a big winning streak over the past several quarters. Now it appears Apple is getting ready to make an even bigger bet in that category. According to a story just published by the Wall Street Journal, the company "has been in talks with veteran producers in recent months about buying rights to scripted television programs. It also has approached experienced marketing executives at studios and networks to discuss hiring them to promote its content." According to the story, the programming would be part of is Apple Music subscription ($6/month for an individual plan, $9 for a family plan.) The movie bit is deemed to be "more preliminary," according to the Journal.

7 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. This is insane behavior. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Instead of making their core products better, Apple decides to spend time and money on stuff that most likely will
    be a waste of time and money and will bring NO benefit to the world.

    Somebody, please tell me why Tim Cook is worthy of being the CEO of Apple, because from where I sit it looks like
    he is leading the company into the abyss.

    ( maybe Tim Cook and Marissa Mayer can compare notes when it's all over )

    1. Re:This is insane behavior. by molarmass192 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Tim Cook is one hell of a COO, the guy knows how to get hardware made. The problem is he's not a product CEO like SJ was. I feel Tim should move back to COO and bring in a product guy like Tony Fadell or Scott Forstall to run the show. The recent defections are likely a sign that things aren't good internally at Apple.

      --

      Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws-Plato
    2. Re:This is insane behavior. by geekmux · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Every indication points to the entertainment market being completely over-saturated. What makes Apple think they can do better than the existing studios?

      Ever wonder if they said the exact same thing to Netflix a few years ago?

      The world is flattening, which is opening up markets companies never even dreamed of before, so perhaps we can stop with this whole "over-saturated" theory now. Sure seems to me damn near anyone can make a buck these days as long as you can avoid infringing on someone else's patents, trademarks, or copyrights. Original content is a rather common-sense approach to doing exactly that.

  2. Apple, your fashion statement is showing. by geekmux · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "While investors seem to remain optimistic about the future of Apple, it's no secret that sales of its iconic hardware products have flatlined or fallen over the past year..."

    I see that the kitsch of paying 3x more for fashionable hardware tends to succumb to the same thing last years clothing line falls victim to; becoming outdated and unpopular.

    1. Re:Apple, your fashion statement is showing. by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      flatlined or fallen over the past year..."

      A company has finally made a Mini sided competitor, the NUC.
      The Pro line is probably one of the last things Jobs had a hand in making. It just passed 3 years old.
      They dropped their 17" line.
      The 15" line was neutered.

      Perhaps they should concentrate on making *hardware* if they want to sell it.

  3. *facepalm* by ilsaloving · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Tim Cook: Oh no! Hardware sales are falling! What can we do?
    exec: Stop making stupid hardware and go back to making stuff people actually want?
    Tim Cook: No no that can't be it. We've just saturated the market so we need to start doing something else.

  4. Re:Apple, why don't you show some "courage" by amiga3D · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I like my 2012 15" Macbook Pro. Love it. But I haven't seen anything they've produced since that is worth buying. It's been a drive to lighten and reduce size and no other real improvements. They need to realize that some people don't want a 3mm thick computer at the cost of it becoming disposable in 3 years. Leave the option to change the battery and upgrade memory at the least. I'm going to be looking for a new laptop in another 3 or 4 years and it isn't looking like another Mac.