Five years ago this week… Rumors emerged that Apple was earmarking $6 billion in content spend, sextupling its original budget for titles on Apple TV+. However, Cook and Co. were in the unusual position of being the smaller fish in the pond, paling in comparison to Netflix’s $15 billion annual original spend and Disney’s $24 billion. There were also signs Apple would buy major sports rights, which it succeeded in 2023, spending $2.5 billion on Major League Soccer matches, following a 2022 deal with Major League Baseball for Friday matches, valued at around $600 million. Today, Apple has elected to reign in its content spend, having reportedly put over $20 billion for original movies and TV shows, and is pursuing more licensing. Streaming milestones were…