Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was reportedly producing an original TV series with Dr. Dre, the rapper, producer and co-founder of Beats Electronics, which was acquired by the tech giant for $3 billion in 2014.
Dr. Dre will star in the original TV series called “Vital Signs,” according to Bloomberg based on information from people familiar with the matter.
Apple is producing an original TV series as part of its initiative to provide more entertainment to users and attract more people to buy its devices. The sources said it wasn’t clear how the tech giant would distribute the show. They added that the Vital Signs TV series is an experimental one-off.
The tech giant has the option to distribute the TV series through the iTunes, Apple Music streaming service and the Apple TV set-top box.
Apple has been increasing its investment in entertainment
A related report from the Hollywood Reported described Vital Signs TV series as semi-autobiographical with six episodes. Dr. Dre’s real name is Andre Young. He was the executive producer of “Straight Outta Compton,” a biopic about the rap group N.W.A.
Apple has been increasing its investment in entertainment. The tech giant has been investing in radio programs for Apple Music including Taylor Swift’s tour documentary last year, to beat its competitors in the online streaming industry.
The tech giant also engaged in discussions with executives in the entertainment industry to obtain rights on exclusive shows for Apple TV, according to reports last mont
h. The tech giant aims to reach an agreement for exclusive contents as part of its cable-like offering in September, the expected schedule for the launching of the iPhone 7.
Other companies are producing original content
Other companies offering online streaming services such as Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) are producing original film and TV series to strengthen their competitiveness.
Amazon produced award-winning shows such as Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle. The e-commerce giant streams the shows exclusively for its Prime members.
Netflix produced hit shows including House of Cards, Orange is the New Black and Narcos in partnership with Hollywood producers.
Last month, Blair Westlake, former chairman of Universal TV, commented, “Since the beginning of television, content differentiation has been the single most important element driving the business. Apple undoubtedly recognized that offering programming that is only available on iTunes is a ‘must have,’ just as it is for mainstream TV.”
