Apple CEO Tim Cook: We Have a 'Toe in the Water' Testing Original TV Content on Apple Music

Apple-Music-Android-iconDuring today's earnings call covering the first fiscal quarter of 2017, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked about Apple's next moves when it comes to the television, such as original programming, where the company has been experimenting with content for its Apple Music service.

Cook didn't have too much to say on the subject, but he said Apple has a "toe in the water" and will see how things play out going forward. Cook believes the media industry will continue to evolve as the cable model breaks down, perhaps leading to new opportunities.

In terms of original content, we've put our toe in the water doing some original content for Apple Music, and that will be rolling out throughout the year. We're learning from that and we'll go from there.

He went on to say that the Apple TV has gone a long way in the year that it's been available for purchase, and has provided Apple with a "clear platform" to "build off of." Earlier in the call, he said Apple now has 150 million paid subscriptions for first and third-party services, and that's an area where Apple "participates economically" by providing the platform.

Apple is working on several shows that will be used to promote Apple Music, including Carpool Karaoke, a reality television series based on James Corden's Carpool Karoke bit during the "Late Late Show," and "Vital Signs," a drama that will star Dr. Dre. Neither show has an air date as of yet, but as Cook says, they're coming soon.

Cook ended the question by saying "With our toe in the water, we're learning a lot about the original content business and thinking of ways we could play in that."

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

carrrrrlos Avatar
89 months ago
Former Apple CEO “We’re here to put a dent in the universe.”

Current Apple CEO “We’ve put our toe in the water.”
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
julesme Avatar
89 months ago
Toe in the water??? Meanwhile Netflix has gone from a $4b to a $60b company, Amazon, Hulu, hell even CBS have rolled out increasing slates of original web based TV shows, and Sony Vue, Sling, and others now have growing online cable TV packages. All the while, Eddy Cue is showing up an hour late, with his Hawaiian t shirts and sneakers, to meetings with TV execs.

But please tell us more about your toe in the water!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SlickIdot Avatar
89 months ago
I wish they had at least a toe in Apple's core products... Seriously! Am I the only one that thinks they are biting off far more than they can chew? After every update I think to myself "what awesome feature(s) did they remove?"
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Slix Avatar
89 months ago
I really, really, hope they don't use the phrase "Apple Music" to host any original TV shows or anything of that nature.

Still don't know why the iTunes Store wasn't a sufficient name for Apple Music's streaming. "iTunes Streaming", or something similar, would have been fine, because the iTunes Store name already had a firm placement in the industry to buy not only music, but also TV shows and movies, and apps.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UltimaKilo Avatar
89 months ago
Apple is really falling behind on TV.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorkone Avatar
89 months ago
"Toe in the water???" Forget about your stupid toe. How about getting in their with both hands, and coming up with some real innovation before Apple goes the way of the dodo bird.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
iOS 17

28 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in December's iOS 17.2 Update

Friday December 1, 2023 2:57 am PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen three more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 28 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released this December. 1. Help...
anker new xmas 1

Anker's Cyber Week Sale Enters Final Days With Up to 60% Off Sitewide

Friday December 1, 2023 12:05 pm PST by
Anker's Black Friday/Cyber Week event is entering its final days this weekend, and it's still offering up to 60 percent off sitewide. There are also a few "mystery boxes" that can include hundreds of dollars in savings, if you're willing to risk not knowing what you're buying ahead of time. All of these sales will end on December 3. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you...
top stories 2dec2023

Top Stories: iOS 17.1.2 Released, NameDrop Misinformation, and More

Saturday December 2, 2023 6:00 am PST by
Apple employees are back to work following a Thanksgiving break, and that means this week saw a number of new operating system updates for both public release and beta testing. This week also saw some misinformation about Apple's new NameDrop feature making the rounds, while Apple and Goldman Sachs appear to be on the verge of a break-up in their Apple Card and savings account partnership,...
General Apps Messages

Green Bubbles on iPhone to Gain These 7 New Features Next Year

Thursday November 30, 2023 9:00 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple announced that it will finally support RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting later next year. This change will result in several improvements to the messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices. RCS will become the new default standard for messaging between iPhones and Android devices, but these conversations will still have green bubbles like...
m2 macbook air green

Get Apple's M2 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro for Record Low Prices

Friday December 1, 2023 6:59 am PST by
Best Buy is discounting a collection of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models to all-time low prices today. We're tracking these deals below in addition to great discounts on the Apple Pencil 2 and Apple Watch Ultra 1. MacBook Air Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the...
iPhone 16 Mock Header Updated 1

iPhone 16 to Include Action Button Across Entire Lineup

Thursday November 30, 2023 4:08 pm PST by
The release of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max saw the introduction of an entirely new user-configurable button known as the Action button, and now, MacRumors has seen extensive evidence confirming Apple is planning to include the Action button on the entire iPhone 16 range. Designs and plans for the Action button date back to at least 2021, as the button was intended for release alongside hapt...