Say goodbye to Cable, and Hello to... Apple TV
This Fall, Apple might very well be planning on launching its own streaming TV service. The rumors are spreading in the wake of the Apple Watch/New MacBook event, after Tim Cook and Richard Plepler announced a new exclusive deal planned to offer HBO original programming through Apple TV.
As it could turn out, the HBO deal may be only the tip of the iceberg. Apple has been looking into streaming TV programming for years, as talks protracted to nowhere with content providers, especially Comcast, who has made it abundantly clear that any plan to share any of its Bravo, NBC and USA programming, is out of the question. Of course Comcast has its own agenda, starting with the Xfinity X1 smart set-top box, which is about to get in direct competition with Apple TV.
The news on Apple’s brand new streaming service come from the Wall Street Journal, whose sources appear to be at an executive level. Content providers with whom Apple seems to be in talks are ABC, CBS, FOX ESPN and FX.
Apple is not stopping at mere TV streaming. According to the Journal, Apple is looking to create its very own cloud-based DVR platform, offering on-demand shows and movies, preloaded in an eerily similar way as Comcast.
Apple TV is clearly a threat to companies like Comcast or Dish Network, as seen from the recent effort in gaining what seems to be a rapidly shrinking remaining ground for “regular” TV service. Users are flocking to online streaming in greater numbers, which translates in many subscribers switching to Internet-only subscriptions.
Apple TV, however, could be only the beginning of a headache for TV providers. The real migraine will kick in as Apple decides not to limit its service to Apple TV, which means, any Apple customer, whether they are on an iPhone, iPad, or Macbook, could be granted access to live, recorded and streaming content, anywhere.
One potentially fruitful future alliance, as unlikely as it may seem, could be Google, as the search giant breaks new ground with its own Google Fiber cable service, currently gaining territory in major cities spreading from the American MidWest to the East coast, with future plans of expansion to Oregon, California, Arizona and Texas.
Google Fiber is currently in its infancy, however, by the time Apple TV streaming service reaches its full potential, Google Fiber could be covering enough territories to constitute an alternative to current Internet providers, while offering significantly faster speeds.
The other alternative, as some have considered, is for Apple to become its own ISP, a bold, and incredibly expensive move, that could reshape the landscape of Internet connectivity options, with any luck, within the next decade.