Apple TV+, Apple’s streaming service, has some pretty ambitious plans for its original movie division. According to Bloomberg, Apple wants to release big-budget titles in theaters before they hit its platform, and it has an annual budget of $1 billion to do so.
Theatrical release to attract talent
This strategy seeks to build buzz for Apple TV+ movies and promote the service to viewers. Apple hopes to compete with other streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and Paramount+, which also offer original and exclusive movies.
Apple TV+ has the advantage of a large user base, as well as high technical and artistic quality in its productions. Some of the most popular titles on Apple TV+ so far are The Morning Show, Ted Lasso -the number one most watched-, Servant and For All Mankind which have had great media impact, but which Apple wants to take further.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is already currently in talks to release its movies in thousands of theaters at least a month before their streaming arrival date. A way to release content that we already see in Amazon, which also announced plans to invest similar figures in this strategy.
In fact, Apple is already planning a theatrical release of a movie starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt as a strategy to attract high-profile talent. Apparently, both actors have chosen Apple over Netflix, precisely because of its theatrical release plans.
Recall that Apple TV+ became the first streaming service to win an Oscar for Best Picture last year, for Sundance CODA, and this year has won another Oscar from Jony Ive. CODA’s theatrical release, however, has gone somewhat more unnoticed than perhaps it could have. Something it seems Apple is determined to change for future releases starting later this year.
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