Apple TV+ nearing internal ‘breaking point’, lacks infrastructure
“There’s going to be a breaking point. People are stretched thin and working too hard,” this person said.”
What you need to know
A new report reveals a startling inside look at Apple TV+.
Business Insider says that those working with Apple TV+ are concerned about its lack of infrastructure and knowledge of industry-standard practices.
It also raised concerns internally about staff burnout.
A new inside report claims that stakeholders working with Apple TV+ seem baffled by its lack of industry knowledge, and claims there are internal concerns about staff burnout.
From Business Insider:
While Apple TV+ is appreciated as the most well-capitalized content buyer out there, many in Hollywood who’ve done business with the service say its content team is under-resourced and has stumbled in ways that have frustrated its production partners. As it expands into sports, with a Major League Baseball deal and a bid on the table for NFL’s “Sunday Ticket,” there have also been questions about how its leadership structure might evolve.
The report notes that the speed of growth of the service and the pandemic has “created concerns among many in Hollywood” that the company lacks a “sufficiently robust infrastructure:”
People who’ve done business with the streamer cited a variety of friction points: disruptive, last-minute marketing planning for projects that have been in the works for months; sloppy press rollouts; landing pages for series that weren’t ready in time.
Two sources said its lawyers lack “common entertainment law practices” which slows down deal-making, and that one Apple TV+ show started streaming before its contract was signed.
Others said it had a flat management structure that didn’t communicate well with key departments, and that Apple was still marketing its streaming service like an iPhone, keeping details under wraps and shrouding its work in secrecy. One former staff member warned of internal staffing issues too:
A former Apple staffer told Insider there is burnout at the streaming service, partly a result of a glut of shows delayed by the pandemic that are now all moving forward at the same time.
“There’s going to be a breaking point. People are stretched thin and working too hard,” this person said.
The report says Apple is planning to hire more mid-level content executives to manage costs and budgeting, and that Hollywood figures told Insider that Apple needs more senior executives to lead its project.
Apple TV+ has enjoyed plenty of success since launching, and this week became the first streaming platform to win an Oscar for best picture with CODA. You can read the full report here.
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