Oprah WinfreyFriday, 15 June 2018 ()
Another Silicon Valley player has gone Hollywood. First Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) started offering original content, followed quickly by Amazon.com Inc’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Prime Studios. Now Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is taking a seat in the director’s chair – and not the kind found in the boardroom. The maker of iPhones, iPads and laptops announced Friday that it’s struck a multiyear content deal with media superstar Oprah Winfrey. READ: Apple bans cryptocurrency mining apps on its iPhone, iPad devices “Together, Winfrey and Apple will create original programs that embrace her incomparable ability to connect with audiences around the world,” the company said in a statement. Multiple reports Thursday indicate that Apple also has an interest in producing an original, feature-length animated film in partnership with Ireland-based Cartoon Saloon, which produced several Oscar-nominated animated films, such as “The Secret of Kells” and “The Breadwinner”. Shares of Apple were down 1.2% Friday afternoon to US$188.56.