In a bid to give over-the-top streaming services from Netflix, HBO, Amazon and Hulu a run for their money, Apple has committed $6 billion to its original TV shows and movies budget for its upcoming Apple TV+ service, according to a new report from the Financial Times.
This is a huge jump in Apple’s budget for original shows as the company earlier set aside $1 billion for bringing renowned creators and actors to its platform, The Verge reported on Monday.
The comedy-drama called The Morning Show , featuring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carrell, has cost Apple hundreds of millions of dollars, said the report quoting the FT. Apple released a full-length trailer recently of the show. The show is centered on newsreader Alex Levy (Aniston) who fights for her job with journalist Bradley Jackson (Witherspoon) after a sexual harrassment scandal involving co-host Mitch Kessler (Carell). The Morning Show has been inspired by CNN correspondent Brian Stelter’s book Top of the Morning which spoke of the cut-throat world of newsreaders and morning television in the USA.
This was the synopsis of the show from Apple: “ The Morning Show explores the high-stakes world of morning news and the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning. Told through the lens of two complicated women working to navigate the mine field of high-powered jobs while facing crises in both their personal and professional lives, The Morning Show explores ego, ambition and the misguided search for power.”
The show will likely premiere on Apple TV+, on the same day as the service's global launch.
Apple announced its TV+ service at an event in March. The on-demand subscription service will come with brand new programming from the world’s celebrated artists including Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Apple said.
While the company announced that the service will start rolling out from autumn this year, it did not disclose any exact release date or price for the service. The FT report indicates that Apple may release it before Disney+ launches on November 12.
