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Report: Apple Wants a New Service Streaming TV Programming Up and Running by Christmas, But the Studios Are Balking at Apple’s Terms. TV Channels as Apps? Plus, What Apple Wants to Do With MSOs

Mar 2, 2012  •  Post A Comment

"Apple is pushing ahead with plans to launch a streaming TV service by Christmas — despite making little headway in its negotiations with content providers," writes our friend Claire Atkinson in the New York Post.

According to the article: "Apple’s negotiating stance can be summed up as ‘we decide the price, we decide what content,’ according to one source familiar with the talks. ‘They want everything for nothing,’ said another media executive, echoing similar tense negotiations Apple has had in the past with magazine publishers and music companies."

The story continues: "Apple is pitching the idea of offering channels as apps for its devices, including its Apple TV set-top box. It’s unclear whether it would group the apps together and charge a fee — similar to a cable-TV subscription — or offer the channels on an a la carte basis."

The article also explains that Apple wants to get involved with cable operators: "Apple has tried to get cable operators to work with it to improve the accessibility and look of video services and in the process dump their clunky cable boxes in favor of sleek Apple devices. ‘They want to create the interface, and they wanted to work with the cable guys to manage bandwidth across the TV and broadband pipeline,’ said one source familiar with the talks. Instead, cable executives pretty much shut the door, preferring to keep Apple at a safe distance from the lucrative $150 billion pay-TV business."

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