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Apple (AAPL) Expands Apple TV+ Content With First French Show

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Apple (AAPL - Free Report) is expanding Apple TV+’s regional content portfolio. The iPhone-maker is reportedly producing its first French original production, Liaison, for its streaming service, per 9TO5Mac, which cited a report by Le Figaro.

Apple has been focused on expanding its portfolio of bilingual shows for some time to gain more adoption. For instance, Liaison will have a mixture of both English and French dialogues. Currently, Apple has a couple of bilingual shows in production, including Acapulco, and Now and Then, both in Spanish and English.

In terms of regional content, Apple made a move last year by acquiring the rights of Israeli shows like Tehran and Losing Alice. Further, it entered the Korean-language originals space with a series based on popular webtoon Dr. Brain.

Other international shows include the TV-adaptation of Pachinko, a popular historical novel by Korean-American author Min Jin Lee.

Apple Inc. Price and Consensus Apple Inc. Price and Consensus

Apple Inc. price-consensus-chart | Apple Inc. Quote

Robust Content Pipeline to Boost Apple TV+’s Prospects

Apple TV+ is yet to gain notable market share in the streaming space currently dominated by the likes of Netflix (NFLX - Free Report) , The Walt Disney Company (DIS - Free Report) and Amazon (AMZN - Free Report) . Moreover, entrance of new service providers like Peacock and HBO Max has further intensified competition.

Despite receiving critical acclaim for its movies and shows like Greyhound and Wolfwalkers, Apple TV+ has suffered from a lack of blockbuster content compared with the above-mentioned streaming service providers.

However, Apple’s robust content pipeline strengthens prospects. Its upcoming shows include Schmigadoon! (Jul 16), Mr. Corman (Aug 6), Sundance award-winning movie CODA (Aug 13), Foundation (September), Invasion (October), The Shrink Next Door (November) and the second seasons of Ted Lasso, See and The Morning Show, among others.

Moreover, Apple TV+ is expected to benefit from its collaborations with content developers and directors like Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Will Smith, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Idris Elba, Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Octavia Spencer, Kumail Nanjiani and Alfonso Cuaron.

Apple TV+ is part of Apple’s Services business that has evolved as a major revenue contributor in the past couple of years as the iPhone continues to face significant competition. In second-quarter fiscal 2021, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company’s Services revenues grew 26.6% year over year and accounted for 18.9% of total revenues. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

What Awaits Apple Shares in 2021?

Markedly, Apple shares are up 0.3% year to date, underperforming the Zacks Computer-Mini Computers industry return of 1.5%.

However, Apple shares are expected to rebound, driven by an expanding portfolio of devices, strong demand for 5G-supported iPhone and continued momentum in the Services segment.

Apple’s near-term prospects are bright, driven by revamped iPad and Mac line-up of devices, healthcare-focused Apple Watch and an expanding App Store ecosystem.

Moreover, Apple devices continue to gain traction among enterprises. Apple’s focus on user privacy, as reflected by its latest iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and watchOS 8 updates, is a game changer.

Currently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2021 earnings is pegged at $5.18 per share, up 15.1% over the past 60 days and indicating 58% growth over the figure reported in the year-ago quarter. The consensus mark for revenues stands at $355.93 billion, suggesting 30% growth over the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.

 

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