A couple days ago it was reported that Dr. Dre would be starring in a new show for Apple — a show aimed at adults. That caused... Some confusion. Why would Apple kickstart its own shows with Dr. Dre, and with an adult-oriented show?
Peter Kafka, writing for re/code, touched on the rationale:
Apple has already been financing video content it uses to market Apple Music — "to extend Apple Music," in the words of an insider. And it's doing that with the Dre show. Full stop.
Simply put, Apple isn't starting a streaming video service. The company is creating content it thinks will drive subscriptions to an existing service — Apple Music.
Just like Game of Thrones drives subscriptions to HBO and Jessica Jones drives subscriptions to Netflix, Apple can use Dre to appeal to at least one market they want to attract — one that will subscribe just to see Dre being Dre. Maybe they'll also like all the music that comes with it and get even more value from the service, or maybe they'll simply stick around for the next episode, season, or show. It doesn't matter, as long as they stick around.
It's how subscription services work, and why you seldom if ever see traditional "ratings" for HBO or Netflix. It isn't about how successful a show is at attracting viewers to any particular episode. It's about how successful a show is at getting people to subscribe to the service.
Hot on the heels of Straight Outta Compton, filled with sex and violence, a Dr. Dre show could absolutely do just that for Apple Music.
What's more, it could also open the door to other programming designed with the same purpose but other markets — and programming that could look very different than what we expect from Apple or currently get from other streaming services.
If done right, it could also build itself into a full video catalog, for whenever the company wants to pull that switch. And that's very Apple.
Would you subscribe to Apple Music to watch Dre's show? Would any show get you to subscribe? Let us know!
