Apple TV Plus Taps 'Game Of Thrones' Exec For Exclusive Production Deal

Former HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler, the man that brought us “Game of Thrones,” “Veep,” “True Blood,” and "Westworld," among many others, is back in the entertainment business but as a producer of shows for the new Apple TV Plus streaming service that launched November 1.

He's reported to be in talks with Apple about an exclusive Apple TV Plus production deal and is close to signing this deal. He's also set to launch a company based at Apple with financial backers.

Sources privy to the negotiations said the goal of Plepler and his new production company will be to deliver as a producer the high-quality series that marked his reign in HBO. Plepler was a key force behind HBO’s marked success over the past couple of decades.

Media reports said Plepler, who is famous for his creative instincts and showmanship, wasn't interested in returning to TV as a top executive, but wanted to be a producer instead. Plepler was convinced to throw his lot in with Apple by Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, who are both Co-Leads, Video Programming at Apple. Erlicht and Van Amburg, who previously worked for Sony Pictures, have the goal of creating high-caliber programming for Apple TV Plus.

Plepler plans to assemble a small team of executives to help run his new production company to be based in New York. Among his advisors in the Apple TV Plus deal is investment advisor Paul Wachter and attorney Lawrence Shire.

In late February, Plepler resigned -- or became an unwilling casualty -- of what appeared to be a bloody restructuring of the company under new parent AT&T-Time Warner. An internal HBO memo obtained by some media outlets revealed the resignation of Plepler, who has been with HBO for 28 years. Plepler joined HBO 18 years after the company was founded in 1972.

As CEO, Plepler had led the company to become one of the market leaders in streaming video on demand. AT&T’s purchase of Time Warner for $84.5 billion ignited what appears to be a culture clash between the senior management at both firms

A reliable insider source said Plepler left because his powers would have been severely curtailed under the new structure being put in place by AT&T. HBO is the oldest and longest continuously operating pay TV service (basic or premium) in the U.S. It was a division of AT&T's WarnerMedia before the AT&T-Time Warner merger in 2018.