In addition to a failed attempt to hire the stars of the BBC series Top Gear for its reported plans to develop in-house content, Re/code reports that media head Eddy Cue also approached sports commentator Bill Simmons.
Simmons ended up signing with HBO, the deal including a new podcast from October – which is likely to be available on iTunes.
Apple showed interest in signing up former ESPN star Bill Simmons to an exclusive audio podcast deal. Apple media boss Eddy Cue discussed the idea a couple of times with Simmons this summer, say people familiar with the talks, who say that they were preliminary at best.
Variety had earlier reported that Apple is looking to create a Netflix competitor, focusing on original programming – likely to form part of its planned web TV service designed to go head-to-head with traditional cable TV packages.
Photo: Digital Trends
