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Apple TV+, an unmitigated failure

E

Eric Idle

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 4, 2020
638
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Of the highest kind. BILLIONS wasted to gain a 0.2% market share. Worse than a 4th rate cable channel.

After spending more than $20 billion to produce original TV shows and movies – many of which reap much hardware during awards seasons, but also which relatively few have seen – Apple is reportedly starting to rein in production budgets.

Lucas Shaw for Bloomberg News:
‎

Based on interviews with more than a dozen people, including former employees, current employees and business partners, Apple services boss Eddy Cue has been having regular meetings with studio chiefs Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht to go over budgets, pushing them to exert more control over spending on projects. Van Amburg and Erlicht have told some of their top creative partners that they want to change their reputation as the biggest spender in town, according to these people.
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The studio spent more than $500 million combined on movies from directors Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott and Matthew Vaughn, and upward of $250 million on the World War II miniseries Masters of the Air, one of more than a dozen new series released this year.
Those pictures were all disappointments at the box office, and only Killers of the Flower Moonregistered in Nielsen’s rankings of the most-popular streaming titles. Masters of the Airdelivered a smaller US audience than House of Ninjas, a Netflix show in Japanese, according to Nielsen. Even so, it’s the only new Apple show this year to appear in Nielsen’s rankings.
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Apple is spending billions of dollars a year on original programming that has received strong reviews and many awards nominations. But its streaming service is attracting just 0.2% of TV viewing in the US. Apple TV+ generates less viewing in one month than Netflix does in one day.
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It is indeed an insane amount of money wasted… Apple needs to stick to their core competencies: hardware and software (in that order 😶) and leave the content creation to the studios. And it cuts both ways… Spotify tried to get into hardware with the Car Thing that was unceremoniously cancelled, and nobody would seriously entertain Netflix building their own streaming box or TV.

Think about what the development teams could have done with that $$$$… maybe we’d actually have a functioning AirPower by now! 😂
 
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well i harped here how every tv is mundane and drab
even ted asso which a copy and paste from was 1990 major leagues part 1-2.

I don't remember enjoying one show and i think i forced myself to watch a "start up tech" show which i caved in and stopped after 4 episodes. while HBO, Showtime BBC and even netfllix wins best show Grammys and produced many great tv shows that ever made recently within these 7 years, the formula to make quality tv series is not impossible and in demand,
while  execs insist on dry scripts and underachieving acting.

if any media corporation can lose ton of money
 can surely do so, and relish in today's weird entertain industry.
 
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SierraVista said:
It is indeed an insane amount of money wasted… Apple needs to stick to their core competencies: hardware and software (in that order 😶) and leave the content creation to the studios. And it cuts both ways… Spotify tried to get into hardware with the Car Thing that was unceremoniously cancelled, and nobody would seriously entertain Netflix building their own streaming box or TV.

Think about what the development teams could have done with that $$$$… maybe we’d actually have a functioning AirPower by now! 😂
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It is truly depressing to think what could have been made with all that cash instead of incinerating it making worthless TV trash. If only Apple didnt have a feckless CEO.
 
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Apple has no back catalog of content like the other services have and licensing it would mean raising the monthly subscription. They walked into a no-man’s land offering a basket of fruit while the completion is offering cake a case of beer.


If Apple could take its pile of cash and figure out how to fix access to broadcast sports for consumers, then they might have a chance. Let people pay for what they want to watch without having to pay thousands a year for a bunch of other content they don’t want. Offer subscriptions but also let people pay a fair price per game. It’s a pipe dream, but maybe one day…
 
sevoneone said:
Apple has no back catalog of content like the other services have and licensing it would mean raising the monthly subscription. They walked into a no-man’s land offering a basket of fruit while the completion is offering cake a case of beer.


If Apple could take its pile of cash and figure out how to fix access to broadcast sports for consumers, then they might have a chance. Let people pay for what they want to watch without having to pay thousands a year for a bunch of other content they don’t want. Offer subscriptions but also let people pay a fair price per game. It’s a pipe dream, but maybe one day…
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Apple now does license older material for Apple TV+. Too little, too late. Nothing they do no will move the needle. It's just a matter of time until the plug gets pulled. My bet is once Tim Cook retires, and a real CEO takes over, Apple TV+ is axed. It's a profound waste of money with zero return.
 
When I see that tv+ on content I sigh. I enjoyed Slow Horses but I can't think of anything else they've produced that I like, let alone admire. It's largely the likes of Tom Hanks, Stephen Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and M. Night Shyamalan. It's mid brow, genre and focus group driven family friendly content for people that don't like to be challenged or be confronted by anything too edgy. Apple approach is throw bucket loads of money in search of inspiration where it is money that should follow inspiration. Having to have everything personally approved by Tim Cook really is a real downer too.

It be never anything approaching HBO, Hulu or Starz. Even Netflix and Amazon hit a home run but Apple, not a chance.

​

 
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It's hilarious that some here think 0.2% market share is significant and worth tens of billions of dollars.
 
Eric Idle said:
It's hilarious that some here think 0.2% market share is significant and worth tens of billions of dollars.
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Well, it's not like Timmy and company are spending your money, right?

While I agree that Apple TV+ seems to be a long shot in the space, I genuinely don't get the constant hate.

If it works for some folks, fine. If it doesn't work for you, move along and find something that does work for you. SMH.
 
AZhappyjack said:
Well, it's not like Timmy and company are spending your money, right?

While I agree that Apple TV+ seems to be a long shot in the space, I genuinely don't get the constant hate.

If it works for some folks, fine. If it doesn't work for you, move along and find something that does work for you. SMH.
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Incorrect. I am an Apple shareholder. It's only 5,000 shares, not counting how many shares are held in my various index funds. But I have a right to be pissed off at Apple and I express that by voting against Tim Cook and every initiative he puts in front of me during the annual votes.
 
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AZhappyjack said:
I genuinely don't get the constant hate.

If it works for some folks, fine. If it doesn't work for you, move along and find something that does work for you. SMH.
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HBO, Hulu and Starz works for me. You've reduced it to a consumer choice. Art should never be a consumer choice which is why Apple TV+ is a disaster.
 
SalisburySam said:
Art is always a consumer choice. Art creation is a personal expression but beyond that the consumer rules what happens to it. Always. Always has.
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And that is why Apple TV+ is a complete, total, and unmitigated disaster. Apple has lost tens of billions of dollars producing tripe while other technology companies are changing the world. It used to be Apple that did that. Under Tim Cook's feckless, cowardly "leadership" Apple is now a fat, bloated company unable to walk and chew gum at the same time.
 
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Just to comment on Apple TV content, at first I enjoyed it, but after watching through the shows I enjoyed, it’s a service I cancelled but will get it again down the road to enjoy new shows that will be available.
To the original thread question,
Apple could have made better choices with the money invested
in Apple TV.
 
Going against the grain here, but I actually think Apple TV has improved dramatically recently. I admit some of their productions are a bit clinical, but there is so much quality now in many of their programs. There is also a whole of some of the best talent in the TV and film world working with them.

Originally, I had the free version when it first started and cancelled it before payment began. It is in fact my other half who now subscribes. I really enjoyed Ted Lasso, Time Bandits, Masters of the air, Foundation, For all Mankind and H/jack to name a few. Sure there is some dross on there, just like Netflix, Max and Disney.
The great thing is there is choice to who you want to subscribe to. Your choice! I cancelled my prime subscription. With the exception of a few, Prime offers a lot of real crap.
 
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Nordichund said:
The great thing is there is choice to who you want to subscribe to. Your choice! I cancelled my prime subscription. With the exception of a few, Prime offers a lot of real crap.
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I still have Prime for shipping, but deleted the app from our AppleTV4K menus. They lost me with the announcement of promised ads, and then delivered on their promise.
 
As with every streaming service, if you look at them as month to month sources of binge then AppleTV+ is no better or worse than the competition. When a few shows come up that I want to see I sub for a month, watch it all, cancel and move on to the next service, rinse and repeat FTW! I never have more than 2 active, along with Prime, at any one time.
 
MBAir2010 said:
well i harped here how every tv is mundane and drab
even ted asso which a copy and paste from was 1990 major leagues part 1-2.

I don't remember enjoying one show and i think i forced myself to watch a "start up tech" show which i caved in and stopped after 4 episodes. while HBO, Showtime BBC and even netfllix wins best show Grammys and produced many great tv shows that ever made recently within these 7 years, the formula to make quality tv series is not impossible and in demand,
while  execs insist on dry scripts and underachieving acting.

if any media corporation can lose ton of money
 can surely do so, and relish in today's weird entertain industry.
Click to expand...
Apple TV started out slow but From what I've seen this year Apple TV has had the best lineup of new shows versus the competition. If ya like sci-fi, there's no better service
 
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TBH movies or TV series are not the best. I am living in Norway, and even scandinavian movies are more interesting.

I have read few years ago the book SHANTARAM, after that I have seen the TVseries - wasting of time.
 
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