Go big or go home, right?
Apple has been working hard at creating a space for itself in the streaming entertainment business over the last few months, but the tech giant has just proved it will be giving other streaming services a run for their money by signing a multi-year content partnership with none other than Oprah Winfrey, per THR.
Although the partnership is not exclusive, as the media mogul will still maintain her roles as chairman and CEO at her cable network OWN, the deal is expected to result in content ranging from film and TV to books and apps.
Winfrey is a big win for Apple. Through OWN and her Harpo Production banner, she has served as executive producer of Queen Sugar and producer of Selma, as well as having a hand in the development of shows like Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray. We wouldn’t be surprised if the deal led to a future project from Winfrey’s frequent collaborator Ava DuVernay making its way to the upcoming platform.
Still, this isn’t the only deal that Apple has to boast about. According to the New York Times, Apple began its foray into television and film development with a budget of $1 billion. Since then, Reese Witherspoon’s production company has gone into development on three projects: a morning show drama starring Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, a Kristen Wiig-led half-hour comedy and a star-studded true-crime series led by Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul. The roster also includes an M. Night Shyamalan psychological-thriller series, a Damien Chazelle-helmed drama, and an Amazing Stories reboot from Steve Spielberg, among other projects.
They have surely hit the ground running, which is understandable as the streaming industry continues to get more and more competitive. Last year, TV titan Shonda Rhimes left ABC for an exclusive deal at Netflix, followed by American Horror Story’s Ryan Murphy, who inked a deal with Netflix earlier this year.
While we still don’t have many details about the streaming platform itself, Apple is expected to start rolling out this impressive slate of content in the spring of 2019.