Report: Apple will launch a streaming TV service this fall with ABC, CBS, Fox and more
After what seems like an eternity, Apple could finally be moving ahead on its Apple TV plans. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple will launch a 25-channel TV bundle this fall for somewhere between $30 and $40 per month.
The service would feature top broadcasters like ABC, CBS, and Fox. Other possibilities include popular channels like ESPN and FX.
One big hole in the service would be NBC, according to the site:
For now, the talks don’t involve NBCUniversal, owner of the NBC broadcast network and cable channels like USA and Bravo, because of a falling-out between Apple and NBCUniversal parent company Comcast Corp., the people familiar with the matter said.
Apple, according to the site, could announce the new initiative as early as June – presumably at WWDC. It could officially launch in September and be accessible by all iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad, along with the Apple TV.
At last week’s special Apple Watch media event, Apple took time to also discuss the current state of the streaming TV set-top box. Along with cutting the price of the device to $69, HBO announced its own service will launch exclusively on the Apple TV and cost users $15 per month.
And Apple is working on the next-generation Apple TV as well. According to another report earlier this month, the new device will be slimmer and feature a redesigned OS with the App Store.
Back in January, Dish Network launched its similar Sling TV service. For $20, viewers receive access to around 14 channels. But conspicuously missing from that service is the top-tier broadcasters that Apple has reportedly convinced to hop on board.
While Apple’s rumored service sounds great, and could finally take cord-cutting mainstream, I’m definitely skeptical. There have been so many rumors about the Apple TV that have simply never come to fruition, I’m afraid this may meet the same fate.
Would you cancel your cable if Apple offered a streaming TV service?
