Apple strikes deal with Oprah

Apple Inc. has struck a multiyear deal with Oprah Winfrey to produce original content, the technology giant announced Friday as the battle for talent among tech titans and traditional studios keeps heating up.

Winfrey, one of the most influential voices in media for several decades running, is also expected to have an on-screen role in the new Apple programming.

The Cupertino tech giant has been courting Hollywood to produce original programming for the company, which manufactures streaming devices called Apple TV.

The company has not said when it plans to launch the upcoming streaming service that will carry its shows, or what it will cost. People who are familiar with the plans but not authorized to comment said it probably will debut next year. The iphone maker’s content ambitions are part of a push to diversify its revenue beyond the devices it makes and apps produced by other developers.

The company hopes to compete in entertainment with the likes of Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., which have been aggressively signing deals with prominent entertainment producers to boost their original content offerings.

Netflix has signed lucrative producing agreements with the likes of Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes, who are best known for making hit

IIIshows on more traditional networks such as Fox and ABC, respectively. The Los Gatos streaming giant recently signed a deal to have Barack and Michelle Obama make movies and shows for it.

This month, Amazon Studios announced a firstlook pact with “Get Out” writer-director Jordan Peele, one of the biggest deals yet for Amazon’s streaming-video arm.

Hulu, which is owned by a collection of major media companies, has an original hit in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” produced by MGM.

Meanwhile, Walt Disney Co. is preparing to launch its own Netflix competitor next year, with programming from its brands including Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar.

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