You could be forgiven for not having seen ads for Disclaimer, a psychological thriller series starring Cate Blanchett that will be released on Apple TV+ in mid-October.
But if you paid attention to news coming out of the Venice Film Festival in July, chances are you heard about the seven-episode miniseries.
Getting programming like Disclaimer to premiere at places like the prestigious Venice Film Festival is one way that Apple TV+ can stand out as it looks to make inroads with viewers and cut back on the cost of creating star-studded programming—even if it doesn’t spend as much as its rivals on traditional marketing.
Since 2023, estimated national linear TV ad media value for Apple TV+ has remained considerably lower than its peers in the streaming world, according to data from measurement firm iSpot. For example, from Q1 ’23 through Sept. 15 of this year, Apple spent about $110 million on linear TV ads, while Netflix spent nearly 50% more (about $161 million). Paramount+, whose parent company, Paramount, owns several TV networks and can take advantage of promo spots across its channels, had the highest estimated media value in the time frame, at $372 million.
Entertainment companies have long known that landing a spot at a major festival is “a big stamp of approval,” and in the case of Disclaimer in Venice, helps to support Apple TV+’s message that it is a place viewers can find prestige programming, Charles Schreger, an adjunct marketing professor at the NYU Stern School of Business, told Marketing Brew. “It’s a big statement.”
(Having an A-lister like Blanchett, as well as acclaimed writer and director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Roma, and Y tu mamá también, to name a few) probably didn’t hurt in helping the series secure a spot, either.)
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The next viewer to Lasso: While Apple TV+ found a hit with the feel-good soccer show Ted Lasso, the platform has counted few other breakout hits and like many of its competitors, has struggled to find a winning formula for attracting subscribers in a highly competitive marketplace. That comes despite the platform offering a deep bench of original content complete with A-list talent and expansive budgets.
Unlike other streamers, Apple’s bread and butter is electronic devices, and Apple TV+ functions as “almost like a marketing platform to burnish the Apple brand,” Schreger said—one that’s built a reputation for premium programming.
“They have decided to concentrate on very high-prestige programming,” he said. “They’ve also made a decision to concentrate on programming that would get a lot of critical acclaim.” And film festivals are obviously a logical place to promote such programming and potentially attract that kind of critical attention.
Apple’s no stranger to the film-fest circuit: it acquired the 2021 film CODA for $25 million after it premiered at Sundance. The film went on to win best picture at the Oscars, making Apple the first streamer to ever nab the award.
But awards don’t always translate to paying subscribers, and the company is still tasked with reminding viewers that it has plenty of programming to watch. In 2021, Apple TV+ reportedly spent around $500 million overall to market its platform, according to The Information; the company primarily focuses on marketing individual titles rather than its service as a whole, according to iSpot.