Ternus reaffirms its commitment to Apple TV

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Five weeks before the handover, John Ternus publicly stated for the first time his plans for Apple's streaming service: to continue its success. On the red carpet for the fourth season of "Ted Lasso," the future CEO spoke of the tremendous momentum he intends to maintain. Standing beside him was Tim Cook – who also revealed, in passing, how the handover will proceed.

For a hardware engineer at the top of the company, the question was not trivial. Ternus has been responsible for the development of the iPhone, Mac, and iPad for years, and this background suggested that a multi-billion-dollar business with TV series and films might lose priority under his leadership. In June, indications were already mounting that he wanted to put Apple's design back at the center – a focus that has little to do with Hollywood. At the premiere at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, the answer was now unequivocal.

What the future CEO said on the red carpet

Speaking to Reuters, Ternus explained that Apple currently has tremendous momentum with Apple TV. There are numerous outstanding series, characters, and stories, and that's exactly what they intend to build on. He made no mention of a change of course, a budget cut, or a reorientation of the catalog.

The wording was deliberately vague, which is hardly surprising on a red carpet. What's remarkable is less the content than the timing: Ternus takes over as CEO at the beginning of September, and this is his first public commitment to a business unit outside of hardware.

Cook shares his knowledge of the entertainment business

Tim Cook stood directly next to his successor during the appearance and added a detail that goes beyond the usual premiere rhetoric: he would be passing on his experience from the entertainment business to Ternus as part of the handover. This means that the onboarding process is not limited to balance sheets and supply chains, but explicitly includes the studio business.

Regarding the strategy itself, Cook reiterated the line he has maintained since the service's launch: Apple doesn't want to offer the largest selection, but the best – other providers are pursuing volume. Production will take place where the company can contribute something that others can't.

The numbers behind the word momentum

The reference to momentum is verifiable. At the beginning of July, the service collected 87 Emmy nominations and thus set its own record. In addition, there was the Oscar for "CODA" as best picture, the box office success of "F1", as well as Emmy Awards for "The Studio" and "Ted Lasso" itself.

Since its launch in 2019, the service has built up a catalog that rivals the prestige of much larger companies. Last year, Apple dropped the "Plus" from the name; since then, the service has simply been known as Apple TV.

The same message as five weeks ago

Ternus is not the first member of the management team to make a firm commitment this summer. At the end of June, Services chief Eddy Cue stated the goal was to deliver more and better content, both on the streaming platform and in cinemas. Both statements were made to the same news agency and together paint a consistent picture: the division is to grow, not shrink.

For the studio division's staff and production partners, this is the real news. A change in leadership at the top of the company meant planning uncertainty for ongoing series projects, and this has now been resolved, at least for the time being.

Why the decision matters

Cook's last major appearance as CEO was only a few weeks ago, when he delivered his final keynote address at WWDC in June. Since then, the transition has been visibly underway in both directions: Cook remains in the public eye, while Ternus is focusing on areas that were not previously his responsibility.

The question of funding remains open. A commitment to growth is not a promise of production budgets, and no one from management has yet commented on the level of future investments. Only the decisions made in the coming months will show whether this declaration of intent will translate into a continuation of the current spending level.

Ted Lasso Season 4 premieres August 5th

The reason for this appearance will reach viewers in just a few days. The fourth season debuts on Wednesday, August 5th, with a single episode airing simultaneously worldwide, followed by a new episode every Wednesday until October 7th. The season comprises a total of ten episodes. The storyline sees Ted Lasso return to Richmond and take over a women's second-division team.

There is no regional staggered launch for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; the launch will take place simultaneously everywhere. Apple had previously celebrated the return with a fan event in Kansas City. (Image: Shutterstock / KOTOIMAGES)