Apple TV+ Reportedly Heading Toward 'Breaking Point' Amid Staffing Problems and Frustrated Content Partners

[MacRumors]

Apple TV+ is suffering from infrastructure problems and some content partners have become frustrated with the service, Business Insider reports.

Industry sources speaking to Business Insider claim that Apple TV+ lacks "a sufficiently robust infrastructure," resulting in a frustrating corporate culture. The Apple TV+ content team is reportedly under-resourced and has irritated production partners. The streamer's leadership structure is "very flat" and "key departments, like marketing and publicity, don't communicate enough, leaving partners to juggle multiple points of contact."

Two content executives who have worked with Apple TV+ told Business Insider that the streamer's in-house lawyers lack familiarity with common entertainment law practices and executives are expected to check with bosses before making decisions, which slows down the dealmaking and production processes. One executive said that Apple TV+ began streaming a show before a contract was signed, while another said that they had problems simply getting invoices paid.

Other sources said that Apple TV+ has a chaotic approach to marketing, including "disruptive, last-minute marketing planning for projects that have been in the works for months; sloppy press rollouts; landing pages for series that weren't ready in time." "They are still marketing like it's an iPhone, not content," one executive told Business Insider. As a result, details of new projects are tightly controlled and kept secret until the last minute, and content partners get little to no information on how their projects are performing with subscribers. Similar concerns were raised by studio executives speaking to The Information last year.

A former Apple member of staff said that there is burnout at Apple TV+, partly due to a number of delayed shows moving forward at the same time. "There's going to be a breaking point. People are stretched thin and working too hard," they added.

Apple purportedly wants to make all of Apple TV+'s content itself to avoid reliance on partners like Warner Bros., but it does not currently have the resources to do so. The company is said to be hoping to rectify some of the immediate workflow issues by hiring more mid-level content executives to manage cost projections and budgeting. Another source speaking to Business Insider defended Apple TV+, claiming that the issues are the result of the streamer still being fairly new.

The report comes just days after Apple TV+'s "CODA" won Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year, becoming the first film from a streaming service to ever win the award.

Article Link: Apple TV+ Reportedly Heading Toward 'Breaking Point' Amid Staffing Problems and Frustrated Content Partners

 

[scotty321]

Yep. Sounds about right. Welcome to Tim Cook’s Apple.

 

[consumerDan]

We have 1 Gb fiber and no issues streaming on other providers, but AppleTV+ periodically buffers multiple times on an Apple TV 4K, even after restarting. I was wondering if the mention of infrastructure is related to this, but perhaps I am the only one?

 

[yaxomoxay]

Interesting. One of the technicians that worked on Severance said that it was total chaos, with wrong schedules and more importantly delayed paychecks; they often had to work without a paycheck.

 

[jz0309]

sounds like growing pain of a new business, not really untypical, utterly as usual as it's Apple, it's been blown out of proportion

 

[AndiG]

This doesn't sound like Apple could hire creative people. Working for Apple sounds like hell to me. Creating content is art and people creating art follow their own rules. Must be very frustrating when Apples Marketing department kicks in.

 

[icanhazmac]

This is what happens when you try to be too many things. Go back to making great devices that "just work".

 

[melliflu]

and Apple TV on Safari, as buggy now as day 1. Not listening to bug reports.

 

[Spock]

The worlds most valuable company, and they can't afford to hire talent? They could literally buy out any studio they want. This is not something that I would have expected to see.

 

[Corsig]

Was Tim treating this as another "hobby"?

 

[Joosst]

Please just stop with it. Merge it with Disney+. Nobody needed yet another streaming service anyway.

 

[bhanson1]

I agree no need for one more streaming service especially with limited content. When my free trial is up in dropping

 

[Wildkraut]

Sounds like all the ideas of Steves Jobs diary has been utilized and nothing more is left, except normal product evolution and anticompetitive practices to stay in market.

 

[02-serious-stent]

One disgruntled former employee crows to Mac Rumors and the entire business units is on fire.

Welcome to “journalism” in 2022.

Almost as bad as that crazy woman who Apple fired that The Verge was trying to prop up last year.

 

[Andres Cantu]

“It currently does not have the resources”?

3 trillion dollar market cap isn’t enough? I’m guessing it’s more like currently does not want to spend for the resources…

 

[contacos]

having previously worked at an agency (the WORST) I can totally picture it.

Executive:

5 PM, Friday: "oh we need marketing material by Monday 9 am. Just make it "sexy" and popp"

8 AM, Sunday: "hmmm it is not EXACTLY what we were thinking. Can you maybe like ... change EVERYTHING. Thank you "

cries in "but it will take 3 days at the printer"

 

[ksec]

Where are the usual Macrumors commentators today? AppleTV+ was suppose to beat Netflix and Disney+ and will even outclass HBO. It is the best ever. And Disney+ wont last 12 months.

 

[jumpcutking]

To be honest,

This sounds like every understaffed media Comapny I’ve ever worked for… it’s an easy fix but required both more resources and searching for more experience.

I’m willing to help Apple… ?

Apple TV is new - I remember when Netflix launched that it was plague with similar things. The only reason Prime doesn’t seem like it was plagued was probably due to is low recognition as a service when it first started.

 

[Danoc]

That's the Apple culture. Secretive. They have to get used to it. That's how we like Apple.

 

[jumpcutking]

Where are the usual Macrumors commentators today? AppleTV+ was suppose to beat Netflix and Disney+ and will even outclass HBO. It is the best ever. And Disney+ wont last 12 months.

I new Disney + was going to last when I realized Marvel was going big.

 

[citysnaps]

sounds like growing pain of a new business, not really untypical, utterly as usual as it's Apple, it's been blown out of proportion

Yeah, sadly...Just about everything Apple does is cast as a sky-is-falling event. Yet somehow the company continues to be one of the most successful in the world with many millions of repeat customers. Year after year after year. Cracks me up.

 

[joshavtech]

having previously worked at an agency (the WORST) I can totally picture it.

Executive:

5 PM, Friday: "oh we need marketing material by Monday 9 am. Just make it "sexy" and popp"

8 AM, Sunday: "hmmm it is not EXACTLY what we were thinking. Can you maybe like ... change EVERYTHING. Thank you "

cries in "but it will take 3 days at the printer"

Man, that’s got to suck.

 

[miniyou64]

Eh lets just shut it down

 

[Biro]

Yep. Sounds about right. Welcome to Tim Cook’s Apple.

Yup. I suspect this is pretty much true throughout the company. Apple needs to focus on the basics again.

 

[joshavtech]

I always take complaints like these with a grain of salt, but hopefully Apple takes care to resolve these complaints before it gets out of control. I love their streaming service and I’d hate to see it fall off due to no one wanting to work with them.