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 Following the June launch of "Planet of the
Apps," Apple's second premium video series will debut on Aug. 8,
with hopes that a recognizable show and slew of A-list
celebrities will help the world's largest technology company
stand out in a saturated television market.
"It's about the artist and the songs that are being sung, just
to get a little behind-the-scenes of their personalities and
some of their thoughts," Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president
of internet software and services, told Reuters.
"It fits very, very nicely within Apple Music," he added.
Apple's "Carpool Karaoke" is based on the popular segment from
CBS' "The Late, Late Show with James Corden," in which Corden
joins guests such as Adele in sing-a-longs while driving.
Apple Music, which costs $9.99 a month for an individual
membership and has 27 million subscribers, will release two
"Carpool" episodes weekly except for the premiere and finale,
released as standalone episodes, of the 20-part series.
Apple's deep pockets piqued Hollywood's attention as it entered
the original programming race and poached two Sony Pictures
Television executives.
Cue said "Planet of the Apps," where app developers pitch to
celebrity mentors, had led to new customers signing up for free
three-month Apple Music trials, and he hoped "Carpool Karaoke"
will continue to draw subscribers.
"With 'Planet of the Apps,' we had to educate people about what
it was ... with 'Carpool,' most people know what it is," Cue
said.
For those who signed up to Apple Music in June, the "Carpool
Karaoke" series may sway them to convert to a paying membership.
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The premiere features Corden and actor-singer Smith singing Smith's
hits and surprising star-struck guests at a wedding party. Other
pairings include comedian Billy Eichner with Metallica, Miley Cyrus
with her family and "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah with singer
Shakira.
Corden, who appears in some episodes of Apple's "Carpool Karaoke,"
said partnering with the technology company was a "no-brainer." The
series offered an opportunity to include celebrities that he said
had asked to do the segment on "The Late, Late Show."
"We really wanted to try and keep ('Carpool Karaoke') in that
rarefied air," Corden said.
"We started thinking if all of these names are desperate to do it, I
wonder if there's a world in which we could find a sister show for
it that lives somewhere else, not on network television."
Apple is competing in a crowded field against companies including
Amazon.com Inc and Netflix Inc shelling out billions of dollars a
year to stream dramas and comedies.
The rising costs of producing video content is "concerning," Cue
said, but he added that there's an "incredible wealth of talent and
opportunity."
"It's easier to create content than it has ever been," he said.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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