Former HBO CEO Richard Plepler Inks Five-Year Apple TV+ Production Deal

Former HBO CEO and chairman Richard Plepler has signed a five year deal with Apple to produce content for Apple TV+, reports The New York Times.

Under the terms of the deal, Plepler's newly formed company, Eden Productions, will make TV shows, documentaries, and films exclusively for the ‌Apple TV+‌ streaming service.

appletvplusrichardpleplernyt

Image via The New York Times

Plepler worked at HBO for 27 years before leaving in February 2019, eight months after AT&T became its owner, and under his leadership, HBO had hits like "Game of Thrones" and "Big Little Lies."

Rumors of talks between Plepler and Apple first surfaced in November, with Plepler making it clear at the time that he did not want to return to TV as an executive, but instead wanted to take on a new role as a producer.

In today's article from The New York Times, Plepler explained why he didn't want to continue working as a TV executive:

"It was instantaneously clear to me that I had a wonderful and very privileged run at HBO and I wasn't going to be able to duplicate that again," Mr. Plepler said in his first interview since leaving the network. "And I didn't want to try to duplicate that again. It felt very clear to me that I just wanted to do my own thing."

Plepler was drawn to Apple because he has been a "longtime admirer" of Eddy Cue, who runs Apple's software and services, including overseeing Apple's TV division. Cue got in touch right after Plepler left HBO and invited Plepler to "talk" when things settled after his departure.

According to Plepler, he had conversations with multiple people about his next step, but his only "serious" talks were with Apple. ‌Apple TV+‌ is new enough, said Plepler, that he felt he could "make a little contribution there."

Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, the two ‌Eddy Cue‌ hires who run Apple's TV business, will work with Plepler. Van Amburg said that he's looking forward to seeing Plepler "thrive" at Apple.

Along with Plepler, Apple has signed production deals with multiple companies, including A24, Imagine Documentaries, and Oprah Winfrey, plus it has established deals with producers and directors like Jason Katims, Alfonso Cuaron, and Justin Lin.

Top Rated Comments

bladerunner2000 Avatar
51 months ago

You don’t have a smart TV? My cheap 4K TCL Roku TV has the Apple TV+ app. I hardly ever use my Apple TV box anymore.
SmartTVs are still pretty dumb TV's, their user interfaces are always laggy, ugly and have a short lifespan considering support for them is typically limited to a couple years.

Just get a proper streaming device like an Nvidia Shield TV, Amazon Fire Stick 4k or at least an Apple TV.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
51 months ago
He was at HBO when it had some of its biggest hits - Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep. Hopefully he brings some of that talent with him in his Apple deal.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mdriftmeyer Avatar
51 months ago

Until they release an Apple TV+ app for more devices it won't really matter. I want to watch shows on my big TV with great sound and I shouldn't have to buy a $200 apple TV device to do it. And I doubt many people will just for this use. So when I get home and I wan't to watch a show, my options are to stare at a small phone screen with headphones in, or fire up the TV and watch Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime... all services that realized that they needed apps for every device.
None of which offer a Gaming Platform integrated, dedicated applications other than watching your movies/shows on your tv, etc. The AppleTV is also a hub.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
51 months ago
Looking forward to more content!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Larryzuluking Avatar
51 months ago

Until they release an Apple TV+ app for more devices it won't really matter. I want to watch shows on my big TV with great sound and I shouldn't have to buy a $200 apple TV device to do it. And I doubt many people will just for this use. So when I get home and I want to watch a show, my options are to stare at a small phone screen with headphones in, or fire up the TV and watch Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime... all services that realized that they needed apps for every device.
?.........Admit it. U just came here to hate on any thing Apple, didn’t u. LOL, if u did any research, even a simple google search u would have known that the Apple TV app is on tones of devices, Smart TVs, Roku TV, as well as your beloved Amazon fire Stick, & TV. The only reason u mentioned the Fire TV stick in your comments below, is because u probably thought it was one of the only devices that didn’t have the Apple TV + app, LOL. Your whole comment just has angry hater written all over it. Where do people like u even come from....? it’s a shame really.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Heelpir8 Avatar
51 months ago

Until they release an Apple TV+ app for more devices it won't really matter. I want to watch shows on my big TV with great sound and I shouldn't have to buy a $200 apple TV device to do it. And I doubt many people will just for this use. So when I get home and I want to watch a show, my options are to stare at a small phone screen with headphones in, or fire up the TV and watch Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime... all services that realized that they needed apps for every device.
What devices are you waiting for an Apple TV app on? I enjoy Apple TV+ on the official Apple TV Roku app.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
ios 17 namedrop

Police Departments and News Sites Spreading Misinformation About How iOS 17 NameDrop Feature Works

Monday November 27, 2023 5:11 pm PST by
Apple with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature that is designed to allow users to place Apple devices near one another to quickly exchange contact information. Sharing contact information is done with explicit user permission, but some news organizations and police departments have been spreading misinformation about how functions. As noted by The Washington Post,...
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
Google Drive

Some Google Drive Users' Files Have Mysteriously Vanished

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:55 am PST by
Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or more months of data had...