Apple TV+ Earns Emmy Spotlight With Bold Creative Bets

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Nearly six years after launching Apple TV+, Apple has cemented its place in Hollywood with 81 Emmy nominations across 14 titles in 2024 — its strongest showing yet. Flagship series like sci-fi drama “Severance” and comedy “The Studio” are frontrunners for top awards, reflecting the iPhone maker’s growing influence in the entertainment industry.

Creative Freedom as a Draw

Apple has distinguished itself by taking risks on unconventional stories and granting unusual latitude to creators. Actor Seth Rogen recalled being surprised Apple allowed controversial scenes in Platonic: “They were not as corporate overlord-y as maybe I was worried they were going to be.”

That willingness has attracted A-list talent:

  • Ben Stiller brought Severance to Apple after other studios passed, praising Apple’s openness to its mind-bending premise.

  • Jason Segel credited executives for backing Shrinking, despite its risky mix of comedy and drug use.

  • Jessica Chastain praised Apple’s notes on The Savant as “specific and moving the story forward.” She now has two more projects with the streamer.

  • Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad, chose Apple for his new sci-fi series Pluribus, citing both creative trust and his past ties to executives Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg.

Growing Investment

Apple TV+ launched in 2019 with a slim slate, initially criticized for lacking a back catalog. But patient expansion has paid off:

  • $4.9 billion spent on original programming in 2024, up from $660 million in 2019 (Ampere Analysis).

  • About 60 million subscribers, according to Deepwater Asset Management’s Gene Munster.

  • Apple TV+ broke through in 2021 when Ted Lasso won the Emmy for Best Comedy.

While smaller than Netflix ($17B annual spend, 300M+ subscribers), Apple TV+ has carved a niche as a prestige platform.

Movies Bolster Brand

Apple’s TV gains follow film successes. Its original Coda won the 2022 Best Picture Oscar, and Jerry Bruckheimer’s “F1: The Movie”, filmed at real Formula 1 races, became a summer box-office hit. “They realized that accuracy was the best way to present this movie as something from Apple,” Bruckheimer said.

Hollywood’s New Power Player

Talent agency co-founder Rick Rosen said Apple has “built a very high-quality slate that’s gotten people’s attention.” With Emmy front-runners and Oscar wins, Apple’s Hollywood gamble is paying off — not just in awards, but in reputation.

Alibaba to Raise $3.2 Billion via Convertible Bond for Cloud and Global Expansion

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Alibaba announced Thursday it will raise $3.2 billion through the sale of a zero-coupon convertible bond, the largest such deal this year according to Dealogic, surpassing DoorDash’s $2.75 billion issue in May. The move underscores the Chinese tech giant’s push to scale its cloud computing and international e-commerce operations.

Use of Proceeds

  • ~80% will go toward data center expansion, tech upgrades, and cloud service improvements.

  • The remainder will be invested in boosting e-commerce efficiency and market presence.

Bond Terms

  • Convertible into Alibaba’s U.S.-listed shares.

  • Conversion premium: 27.5%–32.5% above U.S. stock price.

  • Maturity date: September 15, 2032.

Market Reaction

  • Hong Kong shares rose 2.3% to HK$146.1, reversing earlier losses and moving in line with the Hang Seng Index.

  • U.S.-listed shares fell 2.2% on Wednesday.

  • Year-to-date: Hong Kong stock up 71.6%, U.S. stock up 71.1%.

Cloud and AI Strategy

Alibaba is one of China’s largest AI investors, pledging 380 billion yuan ($53.4 billion) over three years. CEO Eddie Wu recently highlighted AI as central to cloud revenue growth, saying: “We are seeing an increasingly clear path for AI to drive Alibaba’s robust growth.”

The company has raised capital aggressively in recent years:

  • $1.5 billion via exchangeable bond in July.

  • $5 billion convertible bond in May 2023.

Broader Market Context

Convertible bonds are seeing strong momentum in Asia-Pacific. Issuance this year totals $27.8 billion, just shy of last year’s $28.7 billion, marking the strongest run in three years.

Alibaba’s fundraising aligns with a surge in Hong Kong’s equity capital markets, where investors favor convertible bonds for their equity upside potential alongside principal repayment guarantees if conversion is not exercised.

Blockchain Lender Figure Raises $787.5 Million in U.S. IPO at $5.3 Billion Valuation

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Figure Technology, a blockchain-based lender and stablecoin issuer, raised $787.5 million in its U.S. initial public offering on Wednesday, marking one of the year’s largest debuts from the crypto sector as digital assets gain wider mainstream traction.

The New York-based company and its investors sold 31.5 million shares at $25 each, above the raised price range of $20–$22. The deal valued Figure at $5.29 billion. Originally slated to offer 26 million shares, the firm boosted the size of the sale on Tuesday amid strong demand.

Shares will begin trading Thursday on the Nasdaq under the ticker FIGR. Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and BofA Securities acted as lead underwriters.

Figure’s Business

Founded in 2018, Figure uses blockchain technology to connect lenders and borrowers, particularly in the housing market. According to its filings, the company can fund home equity loans in just 10 days, compared to the industry average of 42 days.

The IPO also drew interest from major investors. Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller’s Duquesne Family Office indicated plans to purchase up to $50 million worth of shares.

Crypto Momentum

The listing comes as the crypto sector surpasses $4 trillion in market value, boosted by regulatory wins under a pro-crypto White House, corporate adoption of digital assets, and strong inflows into crypto-linked ETFs.

Figure joins a wave of companies going public in what is shaping up to be one of the busiest weeks for U.S. IPOs in years. Swedish fintech Klarna jumped 30% in its New York debut earlier the same day, while Gemini, Via, and Black Rock Coffee are expected to price offerings next.