Apple Pursuing Prestigious Awards, Including Oscars and Emmys, for New Original Content: Bloomberg

Apple is swinging for the fences with its upcoming video streaming service, hoping to eventually take home several gold statues with its original content.

According to a new report from Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter, Apple is targeting prestigious awards for an upcoming slate of original movies and TV shows, demonstrating grand Hollywood ambitions for a video streaming service that will compete with Netflix, Amazon, and established studios.

Apple has reportedly begun hiring people with awards strategy experience to create campaigns for a whole slew of entertainment industry awards. Sources indicate that the company has already made some hires in this area, with one coming from Disney’s television group, and is now seeking a higher-level candidate who will be responsible for overseeing the entire process, reads the report.

The Oscars and Emmys are absolutely considered marks of prestige by studios, and particularly so for streaming companies like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, which have only been around for a couple of years rather than the decades that many Hollywood studios have.

If a studio has a movie or TV show that it feels has a realistic chance of winning a prestigious award, it will run extensive campaigns to get these titles nominated and/or awarded. Studios will take out ads in trade publications such as Variety or mainstream newspapers like the New York Times, as well as organize screenings and publicity events.

“Awards strategists arrange screenings and other publicity events for Hollywood insiders and others who vote on which movies and TV shows win awards,” reads the report. “These promoters must work within strict guidelines while ensuring voters see the movies and even spend time with the actors and filmmakers. Winning top prizes can draw consumers to subscribe to streaming services. It also attracts higher-profile directors and actors who once considered online video operations second rate to Hollywood studios.”

While the Apple’s collection of big-name stars, writers, and directors, ranging from Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon to M. Knight Shyamalan and J.J. Abrams, should already leave little doubt that Apple is serious about producing its own original content, the company’s ambitions to actually score some of Hollywood’s top awards is further evidence that the company plans to bring its A-game.

Apple’s video service is said to focus primarily on licensed shows from Hollywood studios at launch, with its own original programming arriving no earlier than the fall. We’ll know everything in less than two weeks as the Cupertino firm earlier this week sent out official invites for the March 25 press event.

In related news, Apple is reportedly in talks with “American Gods” producer Fremantle to supply content for the former’s upcoming video streaming service.

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