Apple Inc. will try to do to cable television what
it once did to the music industry with iTunes. The iPhone-maker is
reportedly planning to launch an online TV service, which will be
available on its devices like the Apple TV.
Apple is “in talks” with networks like ABC, CBS and Fox to
launch a TV bundle service consisting of about 25 channels sometime this
fall, according to the Wall Street Journal. The plans do not currently include NBCUniversal, the report said.
Apple plans to price its service at $30 to $40 a month, and
will launch its TV service this September after an announcement in
June, the Journal said, citing executives “with knowledge of the
matter.” Apple plans to offer a slimmed-down TV bundle that will include
major broadcast networks along with cable channels like ESPN and FX,
excluding smaller channels.
The service will reportedly work with Apple devices like
the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. It won’t include channels like NBC, USA
and Bravo because of a dispute
between Apple and Comcast, which owns
NBCUniversal, the Journal reported. The two had previously worked on a
similar service until Apple began to feel like Comcast was wasting its
time while developing its own smart set-top box and Apple TV replacement called the Xfinity X1.
The International Business Times broke the news earlier this month that Apple would be the exclusive launch partner for HBO’s standalone streaming service, HBO Now, which it plans to launch in April.
Apple is also planning to offer its own cloud DVR platform,
where a library of TV shows and movies could be offered on-demand
alongside its streaming TV service. The Cupertino, California-based
manufacturer faces a few roadblocks in its plan, including some deals in
place between TV networks and streaming services like Netflix and Hulu
Plus.
The news comes as a number of companies look to offer
lower-cost TV packages to consumers, avoiding large cable bills in favor
of streaming video, also known as “cord cutters.” Dish Network recently
launched a Sling TV service for $30 per month that offered a lineup of
12 cable channels for $20 per month, with additional bundles available.
TV networks are feeling the squeeze from cord-cutting, with ratings declining by double digits for the fifth straight month in February.
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