Former HBO CEO Richard Plepler officially signs on with Apple TV+

Richard Plepler was with HBO for over 25 years in some form another, eventually working his way up to becoming CEO in 2012. Known for his showmanship and willingness to take risks, he was instrumental in bringing to air shows like True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, The Newsroom and Game of Thrones. Without Plepler, HBO may have looked very different today.

And he left the network early in 2019, not long after new parent company AT&T started to hand out some new marching orders that put more of an emphasis on quantity and user engagement. “It’s not hours a week, and it’s not hours a month. We need hours a day,” said AT&T exec John Stankey at an employee town hall meeting in 2018. “You are competing with devices that sit in people’s hands that capture their attention every 15 minutes.”

After that, Plepler set up a company called Eden Productions so he could strike out on his own, and it wasn’t long before Apple, which is trying to get its Apple TV+ streaming service off the ground, came knocking. Now it’s official, according to Deadline: Eden Productions has closed a five-year deal with Apple TV+ to develop and produce original series, feature films and documentaries.

“I’m excited to work with [ Apple TV+ heads Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg] and the standout team at Apple who have been deeply supportive of my vision for Eden from day one,” Plepler said in a statement. “The shows that Zack and Jamie produced, The Crown and Breaking Bad, are among those I most admired.  Apple is one of the most creative companies in the world, and the perfect home for my new production company and next chapter.”

This is a fun twist in the streaming wars, since Plepler will now be competing against HBO Max, the upcoming streaming service to be put out by TimeWarner, which is now owned by AT&T, and which has HBO programming at its center. This will also pit to some against him against Casey Bloys, the programming president at HBO, who for his part seems to have adjusted well to the AT&T takeover.

As the likes of Disney, Netflix, AT&T and more compete for our time, expect more moves like this, as everyone tries to get an edge. If you ask me, Apple TV+ is kind of the odd man out in the streaming wars at the moment, but having an established talent like Plepler on board can only help their cause.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels