Airbnb is Getting Into Show Biz with Wanderlust-Inducing Original Shows
The booking platform has been considering this for the past three years.
According to a Reuters report, rental service giant Airbnb is looking to create its own wanderlust-inducing original shows to inspire potential customers to take the dive and book a trip.
Sources claim that the driver behind the move is Airbnb’s very own CEO, Brian Chesky, who reportedly “likes big splashy things.” One of the sources explained the CEO’s mentality: “Let’s do shows. Let’s do films, because we want to be travel-everything.”
Apparently, the decision to create original content has been around for at least three years. The company has already worked on a TV show that will be available on Apple’s upcoming streaming service called Homes, a docuseries focusing on unique accommodations across the globe. Also, Airbnb recently announced its self-developed and produced documentary Gay Chorus Deep South, a documentary following the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus on their tour of the Southeastern US, which is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival next week.
This latest venture into show business can be seen as a move by Airbnb to distinguish itself from other platforms like Booking.com or Expedia in an effort to prepare its company — currently valued at $31 billion USD — for its upcoming IPO expected sometime next year.
Elsewhere in the tech industry, Facebook is expecting a $5 billion USD fine from the FTC for its previous privacy breaches.
