CBS CEO Moonves says Apple puts live TV service ‘on hold’

“Apple Inc. has pressed pause on its planned live TV service, CBS Corp. Chief Executive Officer Les Moonves said Tuesday,” Christopher Palmeri and Gerry Smith report for Bloomberg. “‘They’ve had conversations on it and I think they pressed the hold button,’ Moonves said at the Business Insider Ignition conference in New York. ‘They were looking for a service.'”

“The service, which would be delivered via the Internet, was viewed as an alternative to a traditional cable or satellite package,” Palmeri and Smith report. “Cupertino, California-based Apple has been in discussions with broadcasters for months.”

“Moonves, who leads the most-watched U.S. TV network, expects skinny bundles to gain in popularity and detailed the type of service Apple envisions,” Palmeri and Smith report. “‘This will happen,’ he said. ‘It has four major networks and 10 cable networks, let’s say, and the price point will be in the $30s, $30 to $35, $40 maybe. People will not be spending money on channels they don’t want to watch.'”

Read more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: It’s 2015. This should’ve happened already. At this rate, America will back on the moon before Eddy Cue gets the contracts inked. So, before we’re dead, m’kay?

As we wrote just last month:

Forgive us if we decline to hold our collective breath. It’s quite possible that without Steve Jobs’ help, Eddy Cue couldn’t get ink in a stationery store. Just kidding (sort of)! But, boy this is taking eons to accomplish, isn’t it?

Apple’s Internet TV service will have to have ESPN. It will also likely require the “Big Four” networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC) – although it could launch with three out of four and eventually hammer out a deal with whichever one is being the most reticent. That said, having already missed the launch of the new Apple TV, Apple might as well wait until they have a full dance card.

What else would you consider to be must-haves?

Beyond the Big Four, if you go by ratings (total viewers), the top 20 cable networks are:

1. ESPN
2. USA
3. TNT
4. Disney
5. TBS
6. History
7. Fox News
8. FX
9. Discovery
10. AMC
11. HGTV
12. Adult Swim
13. Nick at Nite
14. A&E
15. ABC Family
16. Lifetime
17. Syfy
18. Food
19. TLC
20. Bravo

Source: Nielsen estimates, full year 2014

SEE ALSO:
Fox’s James Murdoch, CBS’s Les Moonves hint at looming Apple Web TV service launch – November 5, 2015
CBS CEO Moonves says Apple TV content deal is likely – October 14, 2015
CBS CEO: We’re still in negotiations with Apple over new Internet TV service – May 27, 2015