Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Apple to Launch Online TV service

Apple plans to launch a new online television service later this year, reports FT.

After striking a deal with HBO to bring its on-demand app to Apple TV next month and cutting the price of its set-top box from $99 to $69, Apple is now in advanced talks with US broadcasters including Fox and ABC to launch a subscription streaming service, according to people close to the negotiations.

FT continues:
Blazing a trail for an expanded Apple TV service are Dish Networks’ Sling TV, which streams live TV to customers without a cable subscription for $20 a month, and Sony’s forthcoming PlayStation Vue, a similar internet-TV service tied to its games consoles. Both have negotiated streaming deals for “cord cutters” with most of the biggest US networks.
One holdout in Apple’s negotiations is said to be Comcast, but a person close to the situation said that failing to secure rights from its NBCUniversal subsidiary would be unlikely to prevent a launch in the coming months, just as Apple’s iTunes has grown its catalogue over the years.

 Some media executives said they believed Apple was aiming to price the service at about $30 to $40 a month., reports WSJ.

The company is aiming to announce its new service in June and launch it in September, according to people familiar with the matter. The service would work across all devices powered by Apple’s iOS operating system, including iPhones, iPads and Apple TV set-top boxes.

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