Monday 25 March 2019

Netflix naysayer Steven Spielberg launches Apple TV+



Apple CEO Tim Cook took to the stage at the Steve Jobs Theatre to announce the Cupertino-based company’s first foray into streaming services. Apple TV+.

Rob Wainfur, the founder of The Bearded Trio and fellow Steven Spielberg fan, reacts to the news the Oscar-winning director is reviving eighties anthology series Amazing Stories exclusively on Apple TV+.

Guest post by Rob Wainfur

There was no denying that today’s announcement by Apple of its new streaming service, Apple TV+, was a glitzy affair with a bunch of A-Listers making an appearance such as Star Wars director JJ Abrams, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, Oprah, Jason Momoa, Ron Howard, Hailee Steinfeld and even Big Bird from Sesame Street!



Of course, my interest was piqued when Steven Spielberg also joined the Apple hype train on stage. Apple, it seems, has really pulled out all the stops on this announcement and, with a hefty billion dollar investment in the fledgeling streaming service, is desperate to become one of the leading subscription-based providers and sit alongside the likes of Amazon Prime and, of course, Netflix.

But, and this may be slightly controversial, especially from a huge Steven Spielberg fan such as myself, with Spielberg and Apple now the best of buddies, I can't help but wonder if the recent attack by the director on Netflix, and whether or not it should be eligible for Academy Awards, was nothing more than a strategic plan by them to just muddy the waters a little? It does seem unlikely, but when the budgets are in the billions of dollars, and Amblin have a vested interest with Amazing Stories being one of the launch titles, then asking Mr Spielberg to just rock the boat ever-so-slightly could easily be a possibility, however remote.

Apple TV+ will be available on first and third-party devices including Samsung, LG and Sony smart TVs. This is an inspired, and necessary, move if the company is serious about rivalling Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+, which launches later this year bolstered by Fox’s extensive film and television catalogue.

One thing is for certain, with a new streaming service joining the party, and more on the horizon, we are most definitely going to need a bigger boat... And wallets [Apple has an app for that - Ed].

Apple TV+ is set to launch in over a hundred countries later this year. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

4 comments:

  1. Spielberg is a hypocrite if he doesn’t A) Withdraw his attacks/complaints about NETFLIX or B) Immediately guarantee nothing he (Or others) creates for APPLE will ever be nominated for the same awards he says NETFLIX can’t have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It’s optics and Steven Spielberg’s been here before with the release of DVD. He, along with George Lucas, didn’t want fans to watch their movies, over and over, without some form of pay-per-view monetisation.

      Delete
  2. And another thing I already pay for multiple streaming services and while I do love APPLE products in general I can’t see myself paying for this service too especially since we’ll probably get a fraction of the library here that they’d offer in America.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's a proliferation of streaming services across the big pond. Amazon Prime, Netflix and NOW TV are my limit.

      Delete

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