Apple recently announced plans to exclusively launch the subscription service HBO Now, and now, the next thing on the company’s agenda is making a push toward streaming services. According to The Wall Street Journal, a bundle with 25 channels will be offered by Apple in the fall, for which it is in talk with broadcasters.
NBCUniversal may not be a part of Apple service
The service will be made available through Apple TV, and it will include channels like ABC, CBS and Fox. Many big channels will form part of the small bundle offered by Apple. These will include FX, ESPN and other big channels. The service is estimated to cost between $30 and $40 a month, as per the report. Citing fallout between Apple and Comcast, NBCUniversal will not be a part of the bundle as of now, says the report.
Programming across the internet will be provided by the service. The announcement of the service, which is similar to Dish’s Sling TV product and Sony’s upcoming service, will be made in June, says the report. Dish Sling TV carry 12 big channels and costs $20 per month. The channels included in the package are ESPN, TNT, CNN, HGTV and the Disney Channel.
The Wall Street Journal’s report supports a Re/Code article last month, which claimed that Apple is planning to offer a web-based subscription service for which it was in talks with programmers.
Content deals a tough part
On quite a few occasions, Apple has hinted at providing an over-the-top, more complete video streaming service. However, it is difficult to tell if the product has reached completion or not, as no such signs are visible. Also reports blame difficulties in securing content deals at reasonable rates as a primary cause for the delay in the launch.
In May, Apple Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue said, “TV is a hard problem to solve,” adding, “One of the problems you have with a TV is you have a disparate system with a bunch of providers. There’s no standards. There’s a lot of rights issues.”
