“Time Warner, the big media company, might be up for sale soon, and Apple is ‘staying extra close to any possible movement on this front,’ the New York Post reported [on January 13th],” Dan Frommer writes for Quartz. “The supposed thinking is that Apple, which has struggled to get large media companies to buy into its vision for a streaming television service, would be able to kickstart it with Time Warner’s assets.”
“Could Apple buy Time Warner if it wanted? Sure. Apple has more than enough money,” Frommer writes. “Time Warner has a market cap of around $57 billion, easily within Apple’s purchasing power, if it was approved.”
“But should Apple buy Time Warner?” Frommer writes. “Probably not, and that’s why it likely won’t. The most basic reason, as Re/code’s Peter Kafka notes, is that Apple already has access to HBO shows, via the HBO Now service, which it has already integrated into its Siri search and iTunes billing systems. Actually owning HBO, meanwhile, would introduce an entire set of problems that Apple shouldn’t want to worry about.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple should use their cash pile to create some much needed leverage to finally get their Apple TV subscription bundle(s) up and running even if all they do is flash their cash around.
SEE ALSO:
Apple eyeing Time Warner assets to ease launch of a stand-alone streaming TV service – January 13, 2016
Apple TV flaws that Apple should fix fast – November 3, 2015
I moved the new Apple TV to Input 1 in just four days – November 3, 2015
TouchArcade reviews new Apple TV: A discoverability nightmare, zany controls, and loads of potential – November 2, 2015
Terry White reviews Apple TV: Feels like an ‘unfinished’ product – November 2, 2015
ZDNet reviews Apple TV: A diamond in the rough – very rough – November 2, 2015
New York Times: All-new Apple TV invigorates the set-top box – October 29, 2015
Paczkowski: Yes, the Apple TV you’ve always wanted is finally here – October 29, 2015
Apple TV’s Siri search soon to include Apple Music – October 29, 2015
Apple TV review: Channels are dead. The future of TV is apps – October 29, 2015
Mossberg reviews the new Apple TV: ‘This is the one I’d buy’ – October 28, 2015
Apple provides HBO with leverage to use against cable and satellite providers – March 13, 2015
Apple should not become a studio of any kind.
Just can’t see Apple running such a company successfully, its anathema to their history of business. Cooperating with someone who might be interested might be a better bet making sure they can get core support in any such takeover.
I can’t imagine Apple acquiring a company whose customer satisfaction ratings are practically negative. Time Warner has been death to anything that has ever touched it. Remember AOL? Me neither.
Who posted the article?- New York Post
Who owns the NY Post?” Rupert Murdoch
What amount did Rupert Murdoch offer for Time Warner? 85/share
What tactic would be in Mr. Murdoch’s best interest if he were to prepare another bid? Drive trading price south with wild rumors.
Further, it’s a divestiture of assets that is going on here, not a corporate takeover.
Should Apple buy Time Warner? Maybe, but you’re not bright enough to make that decision.
BTW- Don’t confuse Time Warner with Warner Cable.
If Apple doesn’t acquire Time Warner content assets, then what should Apple do to increase its revenue and not need to rely on more hardware to do it? Apple needs to do something outside of hardware so it doesn’t stay Wall Street’s whipping boy forever. In one fell swoop Apple could acquire a lot of subscribers. Since I’m a TWC subscriber and have been for many years, I’ve been pleased with the service although it is somewhat expensive. I’d be happy if Apple were to acquire it or at least the content distribution part of it.
I can’t see Apple getting into the utility business. The infrastructure, the pipes may be a good thing for Apple but do they really want to be bogged down with all the baggage they carry? I don;t think so. Even the advertising business didn’t seem like a good fit for them.
I think they can just let others do what they do and they focus on what they do. The library of content they can get, that’s not a problem. Being responsible for service to people’s homes, sending in technicians to hook people up? I think there are better things Apple can do with their money,