John Ternus has said expanding Apple’s entertainment business will be one of his priorities when he becomes the company’s chief executive in September.
Speaking alongside outgoing CEO Tim Cook at the premiere of the fourth season of Ted Lasso, Ternus said Apple intends to build on the progress made by Apple TV since it entered the streaming market in 2019.
Apple launched its original film and television service as Apple TV+ before dropping the plus sign from the brand last year.
Since then, the platform has produced several critically acclaimed and commercially successful titles, including Oscar Best Picture winner CODA, the Brad Pitt-led F1, and Emmy-winning series such as Ted Lasso and The Studio.
Ternus said the company sees strong growth in its entertainment business and plans to continue investing in original productions.
“I think we have such tremendous momentum right now in Apple TV.”
“There’s so many amazing shows, so many amazing characters and stories, and so we’re just going to keep building on the momentum.”
Cook, who will hand over leadership to Ternus in September, said he has been sharing his experience in the entertainment business as part of the transition process.
He also made it clear that Apple is not trying to outproduce its competitors but wants to focus on delivering high-quality content.
“Our role is to be the best. That’s our lane.
“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 is always open to partnerships where it can contribute something different rather than simply follow existing industry models.
He pointed to the company’s collaboration with Formula 1 as an example. For the Brad Pitt film F1, Apple developed custom-built cameras designed to give viewers the feeling of sitting inside a race car.
Beyond the film, Formula 1 races are now available exclusively on Apple TV in the United States, while Apple News and other Apple services provide live leaderboards, race updates and additional coverage.
Cook said Apple will continue pursuing projects where its technology can improve the viewing experience.
“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.
“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.”
His comments follow remarks made last month by senior Apple executive Eddy Cue, who said the company’s goal is to deliver “better and more” television shows and films across streaming platforms and cinemas.
John Ternus will officially succeed Cook as Apple CEO in September, taking over a company that has steadily expanded beyond hardware into entertainment and other digital services.
