Apparently, WarnerMedia's victory came down to the breadth of what it could offer. Bad Robot wanted to work with a "larger" company that had both film and TV distribution under its belt. Streaming providers don't really have that kind of reach, and Apple TV+ hasn't even launched yet.

This isn't to say online services have been left out of the cold. Deadline's contacts claimed that Apple's recent discussions with Abrams have focused on continued cooperation. Bad Robot may have a pact with WarnerMedia, but its co-owner would be free to work on projects like Stephen King's Lisey's Story and the Amy Silverstein memoir My Glory Was I Had Such Friends.

As it stands, WarnerMedia had every reason to outbid Apple. Its upcoming streaming service has some originals lined up, but the company still tends to talk more about mining its existing TV catalog than producing internet-only shows. A big-ticket deal like this doesn't guarantee deals for online exclusives, but it certainly increases the chances.