Apple is making a move in the entertainment arena. The company is looking to buy original scripted TV shows like HBO's "Westworld" and Netflix's "Stranger Things" in 2017.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple is in talks with Hollywood veteran producers to produce scripted television shows that will join the company's streaming platform, Apple Music. The company's decision to compete with other streaming giants such as Netflix and Hulu is reportedly due to the slow sales of its flagship devices like the iPhone and iPads.
Apple Music subscribers are currently being charged $9.99 a month. It is unknown if this rate will change should the new set of original content hits the platform by the end of the year. Spotify still has the bigger share of subscribers and Apple's decision to bring in a wider range of entertainment may just do the trick to increase their revenue.
In October, Apple CEO Tim Cook has addressed the company's interest in focusing on original content (via Deadline) saying that television is "of intense interest to me and other people here."
"Apple started focusing on some original content, a great opportunity for us both from a creation point of view and an ownership point of view. So it's an area we're focused on."
Currently, Apple has two projects in development. The first is the TV show starring Dr. Dre which is tentatively titled "Vital Signs." Described as a dark drama, the project is said to feature at least one orgy scene and will be composed of six 30-minute episodes. Sam Rockwell and Mo McCrae will also star. The second is a half-hour interview show based on James Corden's "Carpool Karaoke."
While Apple has already laid out its plan to produce original content, the report adds that the company is not yet ready to allocate multi-million budget deals required to compete with Netflix and Amazon.
