“As any investor in Apple knows (by now), the company REALLY REALLY wants to be in the TV space,” The Entertainment Oracle writes for Seeking Alpha. “While reported meetings with networks haven’t panned out and alternative methods to lure consumers (i.e. Virtual TV Guide) haven’t been met with the same level of excitement, Apple hasn’t given up. Yet its team clearly knows nothing will match the idea of streaming (potentially) a skinny bundle.”
“Well that in the traditional form is still seemingly a ways off. However, according to Re/Code, the executives over at Apple may have another idea in mind and it’s an interesting play. Reports have surfaced Apple now wants to do a premium skinny bundle that consists solely of HBO, Showtime and Starz,” TEO writes. “Effectively, the big three of pay-TV.”
“Apple is likely looking to send a message to the industry. Keep in mind cable/satellite subscribers usually can’t just outright buy a channel like HBO; they have to be a subscriber to a package of channels and then add-on a premium network,” TEO writes. “If Apple is successful here what that does is it slowly takes a little bit of power away from the cable/satellite companies – not a ton, but enough that it chips away at an already delicate position.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yawn.
You know what would really send a message?
Buying Disney.
SEE ALSO:
Apple wants to sell HBO, Showtime, and Starz in a single premium bundle – April 3, 2017
Google just succeeded where Apple failed – March 3, 2017
Senior Apple executives vying in confused effort for transformative Hollywood acquisition – March 3, 2017
YouTube to unveil virtual cable bundle for $30 to $40 a month – February 28, 2017
Stalled talks with Ron Howard highlight Apple’s content confusion – February 16, 2017
Apple vowed to revolutionize television; currently prepping an unremarkable 4K Apple TV instead – February 16, 2017
Apple TV: Still not ready for prime time – February 15, 2017
Apple hires Amazon’s Fire TV head to run Apple TV business – February 8, 2017
Why Apple should buy Disney – January 26, 2017
Apple’s new TV app shows just how painfully behind Apple is – December 14, 2016
Are you ready for 4K TV? Apple TV isn’t. – November 28, 2016
Apple has no idea what they’re doing in the TV space, and it’s embarrassing – November 3, 2016
Hulu inks deals with Fox and Disney, adding ESPN, Fox News and more to forthcoming live service – November 1, 2016
Apple’s Eddy Cue: Nope, we don’t want to be Netflix – October 20, 2016
Google signs up CBS for planned web TV service to debut in early 2017; close to deal with 21st Century Fox – October 20, 2016
Apple’s Eddy Cue: Nope, we don’t want to be Netflix – October 20, 2016
Apple’s Eddy Cue alienated cable providers and networks with an assertive negotiating style – report – July 28, 2016
Here comes á la carte programming – without Apple – July 13, 2016
Apple TV 4 is a beta product and, if you bought one, you’re an unpaid beta tester – November 5, 2015
The last thing Tim wants is to be in charge of the Mouse. That empire sprawls. As my four year-old used to say, “No thank you please.”
But, it certainly would send a message.
It WOULD open up ads like “Hulk Smash Samsung!” 😉
Disney’s a great company! would be interesting!
APPLE is always looking at the LONG game – seems MDN readers are forgetting that and at the same time their just a bit burnt – DO IT RIGHT then ship! – MDN this is your mantra yet you keep forgetting that… STOP WHINING! all you crybabies out there, if you want a windows machine good luck with that. smirk!
While I would agree with the sentiment, some times shipping after DOING IT RIGHT gives the competition loads of time to ship something that does “enough of it right” first and dominate the market for years.
If they are seriouse then they should do all they can to have me put Apple Tv on my tvs Input 1. Make it my primery portal.
For that to happen… ( besides access to all current network programing and HBOs and alike ) i want an interface that is coherent and consistant .. not the fragmented mess it is now where each app is in its own UI universe.
What happened to the notion of predictability = efficacy …( same problem with the touch bar on mackbook)
I want a UI in which i can consolidate and centralize all my favorite programing and get alerts/notification when new content is availible.. rather than go hunting in this fragmented and decentralized jungle of apps …so that maybe i will run across a new favorite content…. if i remember where to look that is…..
I want better content discovery and AI personalization .
Apple TV UI to me is shallow and not very well thought out..
too many holes.
You want to send a message…
Get it right … dont push a half or less baked product on us.
And for God’s sake.. please stop distributing movies through AppleMusic… learn something from the convoluted mess iTunes has become..
Keep it simple.. and straight forward….. rember the mantra..” simple ” , ‘coherence ”
And for heavens sake… Car Karaoke? Planet of the Apps and Gwyneth?? .. puleeezzzeee !
P.S.
And/of fire Cue … grrrrrr
Seems Amazon currently has a product called Amazon Channels that allow you to subscribe to HBO ($14.99), Showtime ($8.99), Starz ($8.99) and more and unify the interface under Amazon Video. The other option of downloading separate Apps for each channel also is possible if you already have a cable subscription to those channels but unfortunately wouldn’t be integrated into the Amazon Video UI. If Apple comes out with a similar service that bundles those 3 channels and has a single interface the price to beat will be about $33/month.
> And for heavens sake… Car Karaoke? Planet of the Apps and Gwyneth?? .. puleeezzzeee
I’m with ya’
Yeah, buy Disney so the market can watch it on Roko.
Unless they come out with an ale-cart selection of channels it is nothing new and worthless. Just copying the cable companies with expensive bundles that nobody wants is no secret weapon at all.
MDN is correct to yawn. The only interesting channel in that package is HBO, and that’s already available via a direct app. Nothing to see here.
Buying Disney would serve exactly what good purpose other than putting all the sports gossips of ESPN on the Apple Payroll? ESPN is in decline as America finally may have passed peak Sports Gossip. Nothing is more entertaining than watching a vacuum headed woman gossip about Football or the NBA, right?
Then there is ABC, does anybody even watch ABC anymore?
Then Disney, so PC and sugary sweet it will give you diabetes just watching.
Buy Disney, nope.
No bundles. <–Dead end from the 20th century. 🤑
I know what I like and will pay ONLY for what I like. Tough if our corporate overlords don't like à la carte. I don't pay prop-up fees for junk I don't want.
I’ll never be able to take advantage of Apple TV. There are too many places in the country like where I live that simply don’t have enough bandwidth.
I’d rather use the Fire remote and have Amazon Prime and Netflix on the same device.
I’ve binned the ATV, much happier with Amazon Fire.
YouTube TV launched Today and will be rolling out everywhere over time. Live TV- all the networks- full DVR capability and mobile to your home TV.
Google figured out how to make this work and Eddie Cue is still getting rich for fucking shit up at Apple. Hulu is also preparing to launch a live streaming service.
Here is what Eddie Cue keeps failing to deliver:
Interesting. If my building didn’t make basic cable part of the maintenance fee I would probably subscribe to it. $35/month after first free trial month plus for a limited time, a free Chromecast after the first paid month. The huge majority of channels I usually watch (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CW, Syfy, Universal, FX, FXX, FXM, USA, NatGeo and Chiller) are there and unlimited DVR sounds great.
https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/
May not be all Eddie’s fault. He may just not be able to give the Networks the user usage data that Google can due to Apple’s privacy policy.