Apple has reportedly hired Amazon Video sports content executive James DeLorenzo to head its Apple TV+ video-on-demand service.
DeLorenzo has headed Amazon Video’s sports division since 2016. He had also served as senior vice president of the company’s Audible subscription audiobook service.
DeLorenzo will head the sports division for Apple TV+, reports Recode. Apple has yet to comment on the hire.
Apple is rumored to be working to expand its Apple TV+ service to include live sports content, as part of an effort to help diversify its initially limited content offerings.
The Cupertino firm is also reported to be exploring deals for MGM Holdings content, working to buy rights to college sports, and even looking to purchase back catalogs of TV series.
Apple TV+ is a $4.99 per month video-on-demand streaming service. Currently, the lion’s share of subscribers likely have a subscription thanks to Apple’s offer of a free year’s subscription to the service with the purchase of an Apple device.
Most of those free subscriptions will expire late this year, and Apple will need to add more content than it currently offers to make the service attractive enough for subscribers to renew.
