Former HBO chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman Richard Plepler has signed an exclusive production deal with Apple for its Apple TV+ service.
Richard Plepler, the HBO chief who launched "Game of Thrones" and other hit series, signed a five-year deal with tech giant Apple to produce content for its new streaming service, Apple TV+. The deal will include original TV series, feature films and documentaries.
Production will be done via Plepler's New York-based production company, Eden Productions. In a statement, Plepler said: "Apple is one of the most creative companies in the world, and the perfect home for my new production company and next chapter."
In February 2019, Plepler announced that he was leaving HBO after almost 28 years at the company. The announcement was made several days after an appeals court ruled in favor of AT&T's purchase of HBO's parent company, WarnerMedia, then-Time Warner.
In a memo to his staff, Plepler wrote: "It has been the great joy of my professional life to share this ride with you over these many years. And the great honor of my professional life to be your CEO."
WarnerMedia has announced plans for HBO to be a major part of its new streaming service, HBO Max, which will be launched in May.
On the other hand, Apple TV+ launched in November with numerous content, including those from big-name actors and actresses, such as Jennifer Aniston, Jason Momoa and Oprah Winfrey. The service is available at a price of $4.99 per month but can be availed for a year for free with the purchase of a new iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac or Apple TV.
Plepler mentioned that since his departure from HBO, the only serious talks he had was with Apple. He said: "I thought that Apple was the right idea very quickly, just because it was embryonic enough that I thought maybe, you know, I could make a little contribution there."
