Apple

The man behind the best HBO shows to join Apple TV+ for a new GoT or Sopranos

by Daniel Petrov / Nov 13, 2019, 5:29 AM

The man behind the best HBO shows to join Apple TV+ for a new GoT or Sopranos

PHOTO CREDIT: ANDERS KRUSBERG / PEABODY AWARDS

John Stankey, the CEO of AT&T's WarnerMedia wants HBO to be more like Netflix. Translation: making way more original programming and throwing it at the subscriber wall to see what sticks.

That's against the HBO grain as Richard Plepler, its former CEO, created it - he took more time curating and choosing plots. AT&T has different plans for HBO than the renowned content creator had for itself, and the chief executive of HBO left in a telltale sign that he didn't agree with the new direction.

The immense success of HBO shows like Game of Thrones, Sopranos and countless others only underwrites the wisdom of Mr Plepler's strategy, but now that AT&T is at the helm, we may be treated to more shows concocted in more haste and, perhaps, more "mishaps" that give AT&T customers an advantage.

Soon, they will be able to stream hit HBO shows directly to their mobile devices as part of the new Max video service that is launching in May for $15, or for free if you are an AT&T unlimited plan user. For a flying start, it will have all 236 episodes of Friends which Netflix will lose the rights to at the end of this year.

Needless to say, Apple is not asleep at the wheel regarding these developments, and won't just let the man behind the best TV shows ever sit in limbo for long. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that former HBO CEO Richard Plepler is now on the verge of signing an exclusive deal between his RLP & Co. production company, and Apple TV+.

The deal will involve original content creation and should be finalized in the next few weeks, making us giddy about having the most visionary guy in entertainment in recent memory join a company that has the pocketbook to back even his most ambitious projects.

In any case, between Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+ and, soon, HBO Max, we won't be left bored for long in the next few years or so, until some of those competitors run out of cash to feed the streaming machine.

HBO Max vs Apple TV+ vs Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Disney+ plan prices

Streaming service	Monthly price
Apple TV+	$4.99, free for a year with an iPhone or iPad purchase, up to 6 family members can use one subscription, free for students who subscriber for Apple Music
Netflix	$9 (Basic - 1 device, SD streaming) $13 (Standard - 2 devices, HD streaming) $16 (Premium - 4 devices, 4K streaming)
HBO Max (launch May 2020)	$14.99 (launch May 2020)
Amazon Prime Video	$8.99 standalone, free with Amazon Prime subscription
Hulu	$6 (ad-based service) $12 (ad-free option) $45 (Hulu with Live TV and 50+ live streaming channels)
Disney+	$6.99 per month, or $70 for an annual subscription $12.99 for Disney+, ESPN Plus, and ad-supported Hulu free on Verizon unlimited plans

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1 Comment

1. toukale

Posts: 668; Member since: Jun 10, 2015

If we are going by resume, that's a big get for Apple. I had a feeling once AT&T forced him out he was going to end up with Amazon or Apple. At&t wants to go down the Netflix model, while Apple seems to want to create what HBO had. It makes sense he would go there, both parties seems to want the same thing/outcome. Now, I would like to see what AppleTV+ becomes in 5 years, could be exciting times ahead.