Under the partnership, Bad Robot will work on all kinds of TV projects for all of WarnerMedia’s platforms, including its upcoming streaming service HBO Max and its cable channels. Abrams says his company will develop dramas and comedies, longform series and digital content for TV, as well as movies for theatrical release and even games.

Bad Robot has been looking for a media company to sign a mega-deal with since 2018, and it reportedly entertained offers from Amazon, Disney and Netflix, among others. In June, reports came out that Apple came close to winning the company over, but that it lost the bidding war to WarnerMedia. Abrams’ body of work includes Alias and WestWorld, as well as some of the most recent Star Trek and Star Wars movies, making him a desirable prospect for media giants vying for customers’ wallets.

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.