Apple Pays $25 Million for Billie Eilish Documentary Headed for Apple TV+ Rather Than Apple Music

[5105973]

$25m for ... documentary? Like, for a DOCUMENTARY??! Are they filming it with solid gold cameras or setting up entire city scape sets for this thing? It's self promotion for the artist, so her income from it should be minimal and off the earnings later.

Apple really knows how to buy a luxurious catering spread while losing the script.

If they aren't throwing money down the drain on re-re-heated talent doing insipid stories based on neotrash, they are doing ultra-expensive documentaries. Nice.

Yeah I’ve got nothing against this artist. I’m fine with a documentary about her. But why on earth does it cost $25 million dollars to make a documentary about a pop star who has been popular only what—3 years? I just heard of her this year, myself.

25 million dollars. Jeez. For that kind of money I hope Baby Yoda is in it.

 

[The Captain]

Apple’s turning into one of those companies that popular artist know are a ‘mark’ they can fleece as long as their popularity and name recognition is flashy enough at the moment.

 

[5105973]

This is all this forum is anymore is negative, hateful comments. I miss the old days of Macrumors.

I’m not being hateful. Just incredulous. Let’s just say I’m suffering from severe sticker shock.

 

[PhilMacbook]

Sure Apple can afford it but surely they don't waste millions. By paying $25 million it implies there was serious competition for the documentary.

 

[Ar40]

Yeah I’ve got nothing against this artist. I’m fine with a documentary about her. But why on earth does it cost $25 million dollars to make a documentary about a pop star who has been popular only what—3 years? I just heard of her this year, myself.

25 million dollars. Jeez. For that kind of money I hope Baby Yoda is in it.

It's not the price for the content. It's the fee for the brand of Billie Eilish.

 

[paulypants]

People still shop at Hot Topic apparently.

 

[PhilMacbook]

By bundling Apple TV+ with Apple products those of us who buy hardware and don't watch Apple TV+ are subsiding these sort of deals.

I would rather they knocked $50 off an iPhone than bundle content I don't want.

 

[BonkersYonkers]

Will documentary include her inevitable stints in rehab?

 

[bpb]

By bundling Apple TV+ with Apple products those of us who buy hardware and don't watch Apple TV+ are subsiding these sort of deals.

I would rather they knocked $50 off an iPhone than bundle content I don't want.

Huh? They didn't raise the price of devices to bundle Apple TV+. They're waiving the Apple TV+ subscription fee for anyone who happens to buy a new device. There's a big difference.

 

[PhilMacbook]

Not to the accountants. How do you know they didn't bake this into the price of the iPhone 11 models?

 

[Pakaku]

The society has lost perspective to be so interested in a 17 years old 'kid' and willing to pay $25M. The valuation is commercial but makes social value sense in the bigger scheme of things. Just 17 years old!

Sounds more like a major success story from the perspective of this "kid", if they made it big at just 17

Have you ever accomplished a $25 million deal in your life? I certainly haven't

 

[blacktape242]

20 year Challenge....
1999: Goths are counter culture
2019: Goths are mainstream culture

haha as a goth in the late 90s i love this... hahaha

 

[tgwaste]

The most overrated artist of our time. And now the most overpaid.

 

[LbSigman]

After reading the article about the "Indie Girl Voice", I now cannot unhear how she pronounces things. I want to jam an ice pick in my ear every time I hear her "music" (whispering) on the air.

Dialect Dissection: Indie Girl Voice

 

[dannyyankou]

I don’t get what the deal is with her, but she’s clearly popular with a lot of people. If you don’t like it, just look away and move on. Let people enjoy things.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Apple has paid $25 million for the rights to a Billie Eilish documentary that will be shown on Apple TV+ and follows the 17-year-old singer-songwriter's life after the release of her debut album in March, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the report, the film is directed by R J Cutler and produced in collaboration with Interscope Records, and covers moments between Eilish and her family, as well as behind-the-scenes peeks at public appearances. The project is expected to debut in 2020.

Notably, the film will reportedly be released on Apple TV+ instead of Apple Music, which has previously been host to documentaries about musicians, like Taylor Swift's The 1989 World Tour (Live) and Ed Sheeran's Songwriter.

The decision could signal a broader shift in Apple's content plans so that all the company's original programming is released exclusively on its new TV+ video streaming service, rather than being divided across two platforms.

Earlier this year, Apple removed the TV & Movies category from the Browse section of the Music app and started linking out Apple Music programming from its TV app listings.

Apple Music-hosted video content, currently discoverable from the TV app​

Apple already bundles Apple TV+ with its Apple Music student plan, which costs $4.99 per month, so hosting all video content in the TV app would make sense. Apple is also considering bundling Apple Music, Apple TV+, and its Apple News+ subscription service as early as 2020, according to Bloomberg.

Eilish kicked off Wednesday's inaugural Apple Music Awards with a bespoke performance based on her debut album When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? The singer was also awarded ?Apple Music?'s Album of the Year as the most streamed album of 2019, and Songwriter of the Year, which went to both her and her brother FINNEAS.

Article Link: Apple Pays $25 Million for Billie Eilish Documentary Headed for Apple TV+ Rather Than Apple Music

to quote a lyrical and musician legend 'Albums Matter' (Prince).

Very glad to see the Album was streamed vs just singles which is too common.

 

[dmylrea]

Couldn't (shouldn't) Apple have done this on an iPhone 11 PRO MAX and spent $25K instead of $25M?

 

[Turnpike]

The kid is 17 years old. It's not a documentary, it's a promotional piece.

 

[5105973]

It's not the price for the content. It's the fee for the brand of Billie Eilish.

Yeah but it’s promoting her. That’s crazy how this business works.

I’m just too old for this world. I remember when $6 million would get you a better, faster, stronger man who not only could find Sasquatch, he could wrestle him, too 😜 Can Billie Eilish do this?

 

[DoctorApple]

Can someone in the industry tell me how the compensation breaks down? Being a non-scripted film, how much does the studio make and how much does the artist take home?

 

[Jim Higgins]

She’s a talented young woman and I like her music. However, I‘m not interested in AppleTV+.

I thought it was a guy.

 

[kennyt72]

This is all to do with Jimmy Iovine it has his name written all over it, the documentary is produced in collaboration with Interscope Records which was founded by Jimmy, he's calling the shots here and has named his price.

 

[Gutwrench]

I thought it was a guy.

Not that there would be anything wrong with that. ?

 

[topmounter]

Apple should have just spent that money to license VH-1's back catalog of "Behind the Music" docs.

 

[slide_to_unlock]

May be ....May be ....make Steve Jobs documentary using real Apple office, his real house, probably his real wife, his real garage, real design lab...WTF Apple. I don't know who Billie Ellish is. See I can't even pronounce or write his/her name.