Apple in talks to stream EPIX movies for upcoming TV, saysources

“Apple Inc began talks earlier this year to stream films owned by EPIX, which is backed by three major movie studios, on devices including a long-anticipated TV, according to two people with knowledge of the negotiations,” Ronald Grover and Lisa Richwine report for Reuters.

“One of the sources told Reuters that any discussions would apply to its set-top box and also to upcoming devices that stream content,” Grover and Richwine report. “Apple is widely expected to unveil a full-fledged TV product later this year or in early 2013 to drive its next phase of growth and potentially revolutionize the industry.”

Grover and Richwine report, “Talks with EPIX are in the preliminary stages and no agreement is considered near, the source said. The talks could be complicated by EPIX’s 2010 agreement with Netflix, which pays $200 million a year for the rights to stream movies to its 23.4 million U.S. clients. That deal gives Netflix exclusive streaming rights to EPIX movies through September – before Apple is expected to trot out its planned TV set.”

Read more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Lynn Weiler” and “Jax44” for the heads up.]

8 Comments

    1. That’s what I want to say. It seems ridiculous.

      But so did the video iPod. Then that happened.

      And so did the touchscreen iPod. Then that happened (as the iPhone).

      And so did the Verizon iPhone. Then that happened.

      Each of these products had strong arguments that they were ridiculous (no one wants to watch movies on a tiny hand held screen, a touchscreen iPod would mean smearing your fingers all over the viewing area, Verizon uses a different wireless standard), yet in each case, Apple released the product and made it work.

      So I’m not ready to say that the TV isn’t happening.

      ——RM

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