In a new interview with Variety, Apple’s head of worldwide video programming Zac van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht discuss the Apple TV+ streaming service ahead of its November 1 launch.
The execs say that Apple TV+’s first year of programming is bigger than they thought it would be, with at least one new TV show or movie every month. They tease that the investment is only ramping up, with even higher total number of originals in the second year.
Apple TV+ will face competition from the likes of Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu. Unlike its closest rivals, Apple is not offering a back catalog of library content. Instead, the company is focusing on developing wholly original programming with dramas, documentaries, comedies, and more.
While this means everything on Apple TV+ has never been seen before, it also means the amount of content in raw terms of hours of video is much less than its rivals.
The duo said when they joined Apple they spent time meeting heads of every division in an effort to determine how to make Apple TV+ “feel seamless for the company.”
Erlicht says they are excited to finally release Apple TV+ but consider November 1 as “the starting line” to a long journey. Despite a mediocre reaction from TV critics this week to the launch show lineup, Erlicht says that no data point will change their guiding principles on selecting content.
‘There’s no piece of data on Nov. 2 that in any way, shape or form can change the course of what we’ve been doing,’ Erlicht says. ‘What I’m most excited about is that the world is going to be able to see what we’ve been doing. And they’re going to see a user interface that will change the way the consumer watches video. It’s a real experience.’
It’s not entirely clear what “a user interface that will change the way consumer watches video” will look like, or if Erlicht is simply referring to the ordinary TV app user interface. The duo have previously said they are looking for quality content and are not interested in checking off a list of demographics.
Apple TV+ launches this Friday, November 1, for $4.99 per month. Purchases of a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, or iPod touch qualify for a free year trial of Apple TV+. The subscription can be shared with up to six family members through Family Sharing.
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