Apple’s first reality show, ‘Planet of the Apps,’ is looking for contestants
Apple’s first crack at original programming will be a reality series called “Planet of the Apps,” and now it’s looking for its stars: developers who want exposure for the apps they’re creating and a chance to win a pile of investor money.
The unscripted show, co-produced by Propagate, is to be filmed in Los Angeles later this year.
It will feature developers competing for more than $10 million in venture capital funding, guidance from experts in the tech community and a place for their app in the featured section of Apple’s App Store.
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Individual developers and teams can apply to be contestants via the “Planet of the Apps” website. The deadline is Aug. 26.
“Over 2 million apps are available on the App Store, with new apps published every day,” Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens, co-chief executives of Propagate, said in a statement. “ ‘Planet of the Apps’ will give app creators the chance to break through and share their ideas with the world.... We can’t wait to see the groundbreaking ideas accepted for the show grow into viable businesses.”
Silverman and Owens, along with musician will.i.am, are the show’s executive producers.
“Planet of the Apps,” which was announced by Apple in March, marks a step in a new direction for the Cupertino, Calif., company. With the show, Apple is inching toward original content creation – a booming business model now embraced by competitors including Netflix, Google and Amazon.
Apple declined to comment on the record. But Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet software and services, told the New York Times in March that the company does not plan a major investment in movie or television production but would continue to explore projects similar to “Planet of the Apps.”
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UPDATES:
2:28 p.m.: This article was updated to provide additional context.
This article was originally published at 12:28 p.m.
