“Despite reports that NBC Universal is not involved in negotiations for Apple’s upcoming subscription TV replacement service, NBC still hopes to arrive on the Apple TV as soon as the second half of 2015, according to a source with knowledge of NBC’s digital roadmap,” Mark Gurman reports for 9to5Mac.
“A recent presentation slide provided by the source shows that NBC wants to launch Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Xbox apps during the second half of this year, following its existing apps for iOS and Android devices,” Gurman reports. “NBC also would like to add new affiliate stations, Nielsen Rating integration, and support for Google’s Chromecast.”
Gurman reports, “Like some of the Apple TV’s other television streaming apps, NBC’s upcoming app will require a cable subscription, requiring the user to verify an existing cable account.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Pointless. Nobody’s going to continue paying for cable, just for NBC, if Apple does what we think they’re about to do. We’ll get NBC for free over the air (if we even bother) until Comcast wakes up.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Bill” for the heads up.]
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They already have one. It works perfectly if you have a satellite or cable subscription.
Sorry, I meant they already have an iOS app that plays on Apple TV via AirPlay. There isn’t a lot of difference between an iOS app and a native Apple TV app. But I have wondered why there’s no NBC nor CW channels in the Apple TV listings. 😃
Here’s a list of what channels I want on my Apple TV subscription:
ABC
CBS
NBC
FOX
CW
COMEDY CENTRAL
SYFY
A&E
USA
TNT
HMM
TBS
ESPN
ESPN 2
HISTORY
HGTV
FOOD
TRAVEL
E!
ABC FAMILY
LIFETIME
LIFETIME MOVIES
WE
MGM HD
SONY
HDNMV
💰Pay Options:
SHOWTIME
HBO
EPIX
STARS
You watch too much TV, even if just one half hour episode on each of those a week. I could cut the list to a quarter of that, and I watch too much TV. 🙂
Good list, though. Covers lots of folks, that list does.
I’m a Viggle addict too. 😜💥😱😰
BBC World News, CSPAN, TCM, MGM HD, HBO, Showtime, PBS (National Feed- not local) and ESPN pay per event (a few College FB games- very few).
The rest is not worth bothering with.
Does the new NBC Nightly News iOS app work for you? Nightly News dropped their podcast last month, now we’re instructed to migrate to the iOS app and use Airplay. It constantly crashes and looses connection. We have no trouble with other iOS apps and Airplay. There’s so much out there without cable TV, why would we go back?
There is still an audio NBC Nightly News podcast. I listen to it every day.
That’s quite a list of channels that you’re requesting, but I noticed that you didn’t include any of the 24-hour news channels. Don’t you like news?
I get my news from Comedy Central’s Daily Show and NIGHTLY. Occasionally a news app. I don’t believe the news as presented by the corporate shills. Waste of time. Would rather be watching a rerun of Hart 2 Hart on Hallmark Mysteries & Movies. 😜💥😱😩😴😤😣👅
And Last Week Tonight on HBO. 😃
And Bill Mahr on HBO. 😍
Let me guess, news fromDaily Show…Leftist Marxocrat?
1) Comcast owns NBC
2) Comcast is a an awful Dinosaur of a company
3) They aren’t going to unbundle NBC until their business is tanking and it’s a last ditch effort (probably too late).
Unfortunately Comcast has a monopoly in the ISP business in many areas. I feel for those people. 🙁
Unfortunately in addition to NBC, Comcast also owns the Golf Channel and Weather Channel. Where is the FCC as if one needs to ask?
William Clinton was bribed in 1990s to de-regulate the media (also banks, what lead to 2008′ crash, but it is different story). Since then, horrible monopoly-abuse mergers like Comcast-Universal/NBC became possible.
MSNBC recently pulled all full length Video Podcasts. Despite the fact that pay Comcast- owner of MSNBC- about $150 a month for service, they want me to watch the commercial laden version of The Rachel Maddow Show.
Sorry Comcast, that is not happening.
The slim AppleTV bundle will be another game changer…..HBO Go starts it off, $69 AppleTV is a great price point……
It begins……Comcast will jump on the train in 2016 after the “dumping Comcast” for my “slim bundle” begins in earnest……
GEEEE …..who knew….couldn’t have seen this happening…..!!!???
L A M E ! ! ! ! !
I get NBC with a set-top antenna from Radio Shack. Also CBS, ABC, FOX and PBS. Why should I pay cable for over the air networks?
For on demand capability.
Because your local network affiliate station is increasingly relying on revenue from cable and satellite providers to pay its bills. DVRs and such are cutting dramatically into the number of eyeballs watching commercials, and thus the prices the stations can charge for advertising. The diminishing number of people watching live OTA programming no longer pay the bills. Apart from the cable revenue, broadcast television is no longer a financially viable business.
If the networks can cut deals with online providers (Apple, Netflix, Hulu, whoever) to provide their programming directly without having the affiliates in the loop, they can simplify their business model and probably make more money. It would be even better if they could market their current on-air networks directly to the cable and satellite companies (like their current “cable” networks).
The affiliates, in that case, will be simply out of luck. The only thing keeping them in business are the provisions in their current affiliation agreements that protect them from competition offering the network’s programming within their exclusive market. If those provisions go away, so do the affiliates, and so do your free over the air television signals.
How about $1 a channel and $10-15 for the service?
Most providers have a ‘basic’ service that includes local channels. So that plus Apple should be good.
But if FDC allows this, there’s liekly an FSC and local taxes, so….
NBC is behind the times? No Fucking way.
The commercials are supposed to pay for the shows. I will not pay for commercials ever. I gave up cable TV nearly 20 years ago and won’t start now.
NBC’s upcoming app will require a cable subscription
FAIL! Idiot Comcast, living in the 20th century. (Comcast own NBC). So long…
Comcast just can’t resist. They have a monopolist mindset.