Apple is stepping up its online TV plans with the launch of a slimmed down $30 to $ 40 a month 25-channel service anchored by the likes of ABC, CBS and Fox, reports The Wall Street Journal.
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Apple’s new service will likely launch in the fall and although there are no firm details, the Journal reports that the service would be able to stream channels live to Apple TV, iPhones and iPads and devices using Apple’s iOS. The slimmed- down service would include well-known channels like CBS, ESPN and FX, leaving out the dozens of smaller channels found in a standard cable package.
Apple’s plan to offer a stripped-down service is looking to target people who don’t want bloated and expensive cable packages that include channels they never watch or wanted, as well as people who increasingly watch video online.
According to the Journal, NBC currently is not part of the plan for the new online streaming service after Apple fell out with NBC’s parent company, Comcast, over the latter’s X1 web-enabled set-top box that puts TV content in the “cloud.” Without NBC in the deal, Apple’s new TV service will launch without NBC or cable channels Bravo, Syfy and USA.
Last week Apple cut the price of Apple TV from $99 to $69, and also announced that HBO’s stand-alone streaming service, HBO Now, is launching in April exclusively on Apple devices. Sources familiar with the matter told the Journal that the HBO deal was a taster of the type of deals planned for later this year.
This article was first published by The Hollywood Reporter