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Apple Plans Web TV Service In Fall

Apple Inc.’s lofty plans to build an online television service are coming into sharper focus, according to The Wall Street Journal. The technology giant is in talks with programmers to offer a slimmed-down bundle of TV networks this fall, according to people, say people familiar with the matter. The service would have about 25 channels, anchored by broadcasters including ABC, CBS and Fox, and would cost $30-$45 a month. WSJ subscribers can read the full story here.

By TVNewsCheck | March 17, 2015 | 6:17 a.m. ET.
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Brian Bussey says:

March 17, 2015 at 8:46 am

people do not realize that the famous 1984 apple commercial where the blond in the orange shorts hit the screen with the sledge hammer to stop the “dear leader’s speech” was actually about Steve Jobs and his takeover of the media world.

Bo Inscho says:

March 17, 2015 at 9:08 am

After 35 years with local affiliate TV and 22 as an owner, we are finally witnessing the dismantling of the network/affiliate distribution system. The nets will not protect their stations going forward as more OTT proliferates. It was the local stations game through the nineties and it was at its peak when FOX was poaching Big 3 affiliate stations. Today, if you own the content, you’ll collect the money anyway you can. How marginalized will local stations be in 5 years? In the meantime the FCC is still treating local television like it is a monopoly. Sad state of affairs.

Ellen Samrock says:

March 17, 2015 at 10:59 am

Apple has come way too late to the party here. Roku, Slingbox and Netflix dominate (and Apple TV is still basically a “hobby”). Plus, Millennials are not used to paying a $30-$45 monthly subscription fee for anything, let alone TV. This service will limp along for a while and then Apple will quietly drop it. The Steve Jobs magic is gone from this company.

    Wagner Pereira says:

    March 17, 2015 at 6:55 pm

    First, no matter what metric one choses to use, Apple is in much better shape today than during Steve Job’s. To that point, to call Apple TV a “Hobby” in 2015 is absurd, when it is in as many US Households than the #1 MVPD – and will only be growing.

Tony Alexander says:

March 17, 2015 at 11:07 am

What does this service mean for local stations?

    kendra campbell says:

    March 17, 2015 at 2:22 pm

    Local stations are in the early death spiral stage. Their disposable, boring news programs, and insulting commercial glut have no interest to most folks under 60. The “do

    kendra campbell says:

    March 17, 2015 at 2:25 pm

    Last sentence should read: The “do not watch” sign is clearly posted on most station’s newscast

    Wagner Pereira says:

    March 17, 2015 at 3:09 pm

    @jdshaw spoken like a true TWC Employee.

Bo Inscho says:

March 17, 2015 at 11:23 am

More ways to get network shows without watching them on local TV. Not in of itself a huge “hit” for local TV, but more “death from a thousand cuts”. The nets want 65+ cents per HH now, they do not care what stations are getting in retrans, then they want to sell the content everywhere else and compete with local stations. Not a great time to be a local broadcaster. The equation is turned on its head and the notion that the networks and the local broadcasters are still “partners” is laughable.

Bo Inscho says:

March 17, 2015 at 11:25 am

And this is not good news for the NCTA and the Matthew Polka crowd.Another way to watch less cable and cable nets and circumvent cable for the basic channels that people care about. Not many will care if they can’t get the Military Channel, and the dozens of other marginal networks that cable shoves down most people’s throats.

Tony Alexander says:

March 17, 2015 at 12:49 pm

Is it possible that local stations could be carried on this service by zipcode matching?

Wagner Pereira says:

March 17, 2015 at 1:50 pm

The story fails to acknowledge that NBC is launching it’s own app on Apple TV later this year which requires users to sign using their cable credentials. Although this means that one needs a cable subscription to use the app, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC will all be represented on Apple TV in some form or fashion.

Bo Inscho says:

March 17, 2015 at 3:49 pm

I am sure stations could be carried on many over-the-top services. But no the whole stream of programming. Anyone who has ever signed a network affiliation agreement realizes that a local station cannot do anything with a network or syndicated show except broadcast it over the transmitter. A local station could put its news on Roku tomorrow if it wanted to, but no one has yet figured out how to get paid for that.