Apple reportedly hires former Amazon Prime Video exec for Apple TV

How to subscribe to Channels in the TV app on Apple TV (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

Apple reportedly hired James DeLorenzo to head up an Apple TV sports unit.
DeLorenzo was previously in charge of Amazon Prime Video's sports division.
Apple TV is yet to comment on the hire.

Apple has reportedly hired James DeLorenzo to head up an Apple TV sports unit. DeLorenzo previously led sports at Amazon Prime Video, according to Recode Media's Peter Kafka.

In a tweet overnight, Kafka said that Apple hired DeLorenzo to head an Apple TV unit. Kafka didn't say Apple TV+, suggesting that this isn't part of a play to bring sports content to the streaming service. Instead, it seems more likely that this is part of a move to add more sports content to the Apple TV app. Sport is already available via Apple TV Channels, for example.

Tweetscoop: Apple has hired Amazon exec Jim DeLorenzo to head up sports for its Apple TV unit. DeLorenzo went to Amazon in 2016 to run sports there, tho his current LinkedIn says he’s svp at Amazon’s Audible.Tweetscoop: Apple has hired Amazon exec Jim DeLorenzo to head up sports for its Apple TV unit. DeLorenzo went to Amazon in 2016 to run sports there, tho his current LinkedIn says he’s svp at Amazon’s Audible.— Peter Kafka (@pkafka) June 4, 2020 June 4, 2020

We shouldn't expect DeLorenzo to make an immediate impact in terms of new content appearing on our TV screens, but Apple's focus on sport is an interesting move whether it's for Apple TV+ or Apple TV the app. And if nothing else, this whole hire and the uncertainty over DeLorenzo's role just further shows how ridiculous it is that Apple, Apple TV+, Apple TV the app, and Apple TV the streaming box are all different things.

Maybe Apple should hire someone to be in charge of branding next.

Apple hasn't yet commented on the new hire. If it does, maybe we can expect to learn exactly what they'll be doing at Apple. I mean Apple TV+. Or Apple TV. Whatever.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.