By Rollo Ross
LOS ANGELES, July 27 (Reuters) – Apple’s incoming CEO, hardware chief John Ternus, said he was committed to building on the company’s momentum in the entertainment business when he takes the helm of the iPhone maker in September.
The technology giant began offering original TV series and films through the Apple TV+ streaming app in 2019. The company found success with Oscar best picture winner “CODA,” box-office blockbuster “F1” and Emmy-winning shows such as “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso.”
Last year, Apple dropped the plus sign and renamed the service Apple TV.
“I think we have such tremendous momentum right now in Apple TV,” Ternus told Reuters on the red carpet at the premiere of the fourth season of “Ted Lasso.”
“There’s so many amazing shows, so many amazing characters and stories, and so we’re just going to keep building on the momentum.”
Ternus stood next to current CEO Tim Cook, who said he is sharing his insights about the entertainment business as part of the leadership transition.
“Our role is to be the best. That’s our lane,” Cook said of Apple’s entertainment strategy. “We’re not about the most. There are … other companies that do that. But we’re about the best, and I feel like we really hit our stride in providing that.”
Cook said Apple was open to future partnerships in the entertainment realm if the company feels it can bring a particular expertise. He pointed to the arrangement with the Formula 1 racing league.
For the Brad Pitt movie “F1,” Apple built custom cameras to help make audiences feel like they were inside a race car. F1 races are now shown exclusively on Apple TV in the United States, and the company provides leaderboards, updates and other coverage on Apple News and other apps.
“We’ll do things that we can bring something unique to, where we can innovate in a way that others might not be able to,” Cook said. “I feel like we’re really doing that with F1. We’re so excited about how we’re doing there and the viewership numbers that we’re getting. So more things like that would be possible.”
Last month, senior Apple executive Eddy Cue told Reuters the company’s goal was to offer “better and more” TV shows and movies on streaming and in cinemas.
(Reporting by Rollo Ross; Writing by Lisa Richwine)
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