In addition to expanding the amount of content on the service, Apple has shown an interest in bundling Apple TV+ with other properties. In August, the company launched a heavily-discounted Showtime + CBS combo subscription for Apple TV+ members. It is also reportedly preparing a mega Apple content services bundle, set to launch alongside the iPhone 12.
Today, The Telegraph reported on a new hire that seems to be related to these initiatives. Apple has hired Tim Connolly to join Apple’s video division. In his former roles at Hulu and Quibi, Connolly was tasked with striking major distribution deals.
For example at Hulu, Connolly led negotiations with Spotify to bundle the music service with Hulu at no extra cost to the customer. He also worked on Hulu’s live TV deals and led advertising and partnerships at Quibi.
Although his exact role at Apple is unclear, it would make sense for him to be working on special deals and partnerships for Apple TV+ and Apple TV Channels, similar to the recently-announced Showtime and CBS offering. There have also been rumors that Apple is exploring an expansion of TV+ into live programming.
The company has also added program managers for various content niches and geographies. Right now, the vast majority of TV+ commissions come from the United States and a handful of programming from the UK. However, Apple will need to branch out into more countries to compete with the likes of Netflix on original content. Its hiring patterns certainly suggest it has those ambitions. On a related note, Apple TV+ will debut its first non-English language series called ‘Tehran’ later this month.
