In a brief press release today, Apple announced a multi-year deal with Oprah Winfrey to produce original video content. From the press release:
Together, Winfrey and Apple will create original programs that embrace her incomparable ability to connect with audiences around the world.
The project joins more than a dozen others that have been signed by Apple for video content in the past year or so. There is no word yet on when the programming might be released, but CNN Money reports that Oprah is expected to have an onscreen role as a host and interviewer.
Competition among Apple, Netflix, and Amazon for original video content continues to heat up. Against the backdrop of consolidation among traditional media companies and telecommunications companies like the recently-closed AT&T/Time Warner merger, the stage seems set for major shifts in the video entertainment industry.