Streaming giants are usually in competition with one another, constantly searching for new talent to recruit and new content to create. But it looks like Apple, predominantly a tech company, is getting ahead in the streaming race. In their new multi-year deal with Oprah Winfrey, Apple will potentially create TV and film projects, books, and even applications according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Under the new deal, the competition gets close for competing streaming and tech giants like Netflix and Amazon. According to THR, Winfrey was placed in a situation in which both Amazon and Netflix were after her. Apparently, Apple was the most “aggressive” with motions to get a broader audience without placing limits on Winfrey‘s current business holdings.
Her deal with Apple has significant differences. While companies like Netflix, who just recently entered deals with Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, are looking to create more original content, Winfrey’s deal is more a partnership than anything. Under the contract with Apple, Winfrey’s Harpo Films will maintain full ownership of anything produced, as the company has with all other endeavors. The deal is also no conflict of interest for her ownership of OWN, though she owns less than 30 percent of the company; Discovery Communications is a majority stakeholder with at least 70 percent ownership.
Nonetheless, the renowned media mogul has extended her deal with OWN until 2025; she will remain CEO and keep limited rights to appear on-screen. The only exception is podcasts as Winfrey’s got her own platform for those.