The interwebs have been patiently waiting for Apple’s original TV shows, whose trailers have started dropping to build anticipation among viewers. Flagging off with Carpool Karaoke, the Cupertino giant has today shared details for its upcoming TV show, Planet of the Apps. The same were announced by Apple SVP Eddy Cue and producer Ben Silverman on stage at the Code Media conference today.
For those unaware, the premise of the said original and unscripted TV show from Apple is similar to Shark Tank but with a pinch of Voice or The Bachelor mixed into it. In the TV show, developers will be required to pitch their iOS app ideas in front of a phenomenal panel of expert judges including Gary Vaynerchuk, Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Will.i.am. This will result in app makers receiving nearly $10 million venture capital funding, mentorship and a chance to be featured in the app store.
The trailer attached underneath gives us our first look at the upcoming TV show, which completed filming just a couple days ago. There was no information on the format of the show until date. There was a popular belief that ‘Planet of the Apps’ will be elevator pitching show. But, what one had thought to be an elevator pitch, will be an escalator pitch in reality — yes, literally!
The app maker will have 60 seconds to pitch their iOS app ideas while coming down an escalator and the judges will have to swipe right or left on their tablets to choose their picks. This is mandatory in the current Tinder-obsessed generation and also it’s 2017, says Cue.
But, this isn’t the biggest revelation made by Cue on stage at the conference. After revealing the trailer for the said TV show, Cue mentioned that both of their originals shows will make a debut on their subscription-based music platform — Apple Music. The company isn’t planning to churn out original shows like Netflix or Amazon have been doing at present.
Instead, Cupertino is looking to tackle things differently. It is planning to push out shows to their 20+ million subscribers, yes, the number was revealed today during the interview. Also, there would be no promotional adverts appearing between this Apple show about Apple apps on Apple Music. This media strategy, Cue reveals, emerged after the company took the time to create exclusive video content for Drake and other artists.
Talking about the same, Eddy Cue says,
We think we have an opportunity to do something unique with Apple Music and shows. The things we’re trying to do aren’t being done by anyone else. If we wanted to do something everyone else was doing, we might be better off buying something or whatever. But that’s not the idea.
As for Planet of the Apps, it has been produced by some well-known individuals including the likes of Ben Silverman, Howard Owens, and William Adams. The TV show is expected to make its debut this Spring, across the complete world (isn’t expected to be restricted to certain geographies or the U.S). The show will be accessible through the Apple Music app on Apple TV, Watch or PS, as well as iPhone or iPad. The company also plans to experiment with other ways of distributing their original content.
