Disney and CBS interested in Apple's subscription-based iTunes TV idea?
By Darren Murph 
posted December 22nd 2009 5:08AM
posted December 22nd 2009 5:08AM
Disney and Apple -- now, where have we heard about these two mingling in content related activities before? Sure enough, whispers of a potential tie-up regarding a $30 per month TV service for iTunes are turning into more of a gentle roar, with The Wall Street Journal reporting today that both CBS and Walt Disney Company are "considering participating in Apple's plan to offer television subscriptions over the internet." Naturally, this comes from those ever present (and perpetually undisclosed) "sources," but considering that the outfit just shelled out for Lala, we wouldn't put anything past it. As the story goes, CBS is considering offering up content from CBS and CW, while Disney could include programming from ABC, Disney Channel and ABC Family networks; details on the purported program are obviously still under wraps, but we know that both of these guys would be looking for some sort of monthly compensation in exchange for access to their lineups. Whatever the case, it's being bruited that Apple could complete licensing deals and introduce the service sometime in 2010, so we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more.
@RLJSlick Not for long. Comcast has already locked down their Fancast site so you have to have their internet and TV service. Hulu is going to be next.
$30/Month for ABC Family and CW? Add Lopez Tonight and you've got a deal...hahahah! You have got to be joking!
Now if only they could do something like this but with music. *sigh*
I'm already a big fan of the Apple TV and love it for digital movies, YouTube, Video Podcasts, and TV shows. Digital media on-demand available at the push of a button is definitely the future, but the $1.99 per TV show thing was always a little weird feeling. Movies I'll watch multiple times so it's worth buying if not renting, but TV shows I'll sometimes only want to see once.
A subscription service would be great, and be a better sell to much of the public and to me if they have enough channels.
Being an Apple TV owner, this is great, but I want to see Hulu and Netflix come to the device without modifying it before this.
@jcrash
To bad more people are buying Apple products like Apple laptops (according to the latest numbers), iPhones and iPods or your theory could hold some water.
Internet broadcast will be wonderful when a majority of channels are available (enough to truly replace cable), but it must not be tied to specific hardware. If Apple's intent with this is to lock it into apple TV, I hope it fails in a painful lingering death.
@wraith404 TimeWarner locks their service to their boxes. Verizon locks service to their boxes. Do you wish a slow and painful death to them too?
@HighestRanked
To an open internet service, yes. But those are apples and oranges. You can buy alternate compatible hardware for many cable providers, then there is the whole cable card debacle which will hopefully be corrected or replaced. The FCC has already ruled that the providers can't lock you into the hardware, but they keep slipping through loopholes leaving the options limited. The government doesn't have the same control over an internet service, and I expect apple will attempt to exploit that fact in a continued attempt to stifle competition. I'll take cable over apple, at least I can connect a media PC (from a variety of hardware and software combinations) that offers far greater functionality at far greater value.
@wraith404 hmm, I've never seen an instance when Apple has stiffed competition before.