New report says Apple to get into the original TV programming business

NETFLIX needs to watch out. The biggest company in the world is said to be getting ready to give everything it has to beat it.

Apple will be looking to snag A-listers to rival Kevin Spacey in Netflix’s House of Cards.

IT HAS been speculated for years, but Apple may finally be getting into the original television programming business.

Sources have told Variety that the Californian company has been holding discussions with key Hollywood executives over the last few weeks to see if any would be interested in leading their efforts.

Leading Apple’s charge into the entertainment industry is Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet Software and Services. The same man who is who has been negotiating with US cable companies for Apple TV content and who made peace with Taylor Swift after the Apple Music debacle.

It’s not sure how hard Apple is looking to go into content creation, but one high level Hollywood executive who talked with Apple told Variety that the main goal would be to create content for a potential Netflix-rivalling service.

News_Image_File: The former Top Gear gents could have been on Apple’s service.

Apple will be looking to start the operation at some point next year, however it’s unknown whether the focus will be on original TV series, movies or both.

Also interesting in the report is that Apple allegedly made a large bid in an attempt to secure ex-Top Gear stars Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond for a flagship show, but was ultimately outbid by Amazon.

Another uncertainty lies around whether Apple will open its own movie studio, similar to Microsoft with its Xbox model or simply work with outside production studios to get them to do all the movie work, a la Netflix.

This all fits in with Apple’s plans to ramp up its Apple TV to take over everyone’s living room. A new Apple TV is expected to launch next week, alongside an iPhone for around $250, or just over double the price of the current one.

With that though, the Apple TV is expected to include strong Siri integration and powerful hardware to turn it into the perfect gaming system for the casual gamer, with support for third-party gaming controllers also expected as well as a games App Store.

News_Image_File: Eddy Cue will be leading the operation.