Apple looks set to expand its portfolio of products with the launch of an online television service, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
Following a deal with HBO to bring its on-demand streaming app to Apple TV, Apple is now reportedly in “advanced talks” with US broadcasters including Fox, ABC and CBS to launch a subscription streaming service this year.
The service would have about 25 channels and would be available on Apple devices such as the Apple TV, WSJ cites people close to the company as saying.
Last year, speaking on the Charlie Ross Show in September, Apple boss Tim Cook sparked rumours of the tech giant venturing into the TV space as he heavily criticised the state of the medium by saying that it was “stuck back in the 70s.”
“Think about how much your life has changed, and all the things around you that have changed,” said Cook, “and yet TV – when you go in your living room to watch the TV or wherever it might be – it almost feels like you’re rewinding the clock and you’ve entered a time capsule and you’re going backwards.”
However, up until now, the company’s only move has been the launch of the Apple TV device in 2007, which currently has approximately 25 million users worldwide.
Apple TV allows people to view photos, play music and watch video content from services including Netflix, Hulu Plus and YouTube.
In 2014, Apple reported $200 billion in revenue.
“Clearly the biggest media companies are adapting to the new era of consumer choice and flexibility,” said Jay Fulcher, CEO of Ooyala.
“On the content front, it’s unlikely Apple will go as far as Netflix, HBO, Amazon and others in a gambit for original programming. But with the trojan horse of Apple TV and the overall widespread adoption of the Apple experience, that’s not a battle they have to fight.
“It’s hard to single out any single service as a catalyst for the acceleration of unbundling. There has been such a long sequence of events that have led the industry to this point where unbundling is a reality for many consumers. This is just one more domino that’s part of a major chain reaction rifling through the industry, alongside HBO, SlingTV, CBS and others finally getting in the game.”
