Apple Music Buys Hit 'Carpool Karaoke' for Digital TV Series CBS Television Studios announced on Tuesday that Apple Music purchased the first-window rights to the upcoming series, meaning episodes will debut on the technology company's streaming music service.
By Michelle Castillo •
This story originally appeared on CNBC
James Corden's viral sensation "Carpool Karaoke" series has found a surprising home at Apple Music.
CBS Television Studios announced on Tuesday that Apple Music purchased the first-window rights to the upcoming series, meaning episodes will debut on the technology company's streaming music service. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We love music, and 'Carpool Karaoke' celebrates it in a fun and unique way that is a hit with audiences of all ages," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of internet software and services, in a release. "It's a perfect fit for Apple Music -- bringing subscribers exclusive access to their favorite artists and celebrities who come along for the ride."
Apple Music has been bolstering its original content offerings to compete with streaming services like Netflix and Spotify. It debuted Vice Media's music series "The Score" in March, and livestreamed the Taylor Swift "1989" concert special in December. It's also rumored to have greenlit a scripted series based on Dr. Dre's life, and has bought "Planet of the Apps," a reality television competition featuring app developers.
The service costs $9.99 a month or $14.99 a month for up to six family members.
"Carpool" is a spinoff of a segment from "The Late Late Show with James Corden" where the host sings along with musicians and notable people while he drives them around. Participants have included Adele, Justin Bieber and One Direction, as well as Michelle Obama. CBS said that since the concept debuted a year ago, "Carpool" clips have been viewed more than 830 million times on YouTube.
The new series will follow the same concept, featuring a yet-to-be announced host. A 16-episode order has been greenlit. "The Late Late Show with James Corden" will continue to feature "Carpool" segments as well.
CBS can still license episodes of the new series to a traditional television network, but if you want to see it first, you'll need to subscribe to Apple Music.
