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Apple is preparing to launch an internet TV service this summer, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal. The service will be available... Apple Launching Internet TV Service At WWDC 2015

Apple is preparing to launch an internet TV service this summer, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal. The service will be available for somewhere in the region of $25 to $40, depending on the amount of channels Apple is able to scoop up.

apple-tv

Similar to Sling TV—Dish Network’s own internet TV service—Apple will offer a base package with a few channels, alongside some channels or bundles for an additional amount per month.

The channels will include content from Disney, ABC, CBS and Fox. Comcast is out of the arrangement due to a clash of horns between the two companies, after Apple decided to remove Comcast from the development of the service.

That means no NBC content will be available on Apple’s internet TV service, at least not at launch. Comcast is stubborn, but if we see a huge decimation of cable it might have no choice but to conform to Apple’s ideas.

The service will feature a variety of live and on-demand TV, although it is not clear if Apple will license older content like Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video offers.

It is also not clear if Apple will create any original content for its service, something the two aforementioned services both offer in the form of TV shows and movies.

Talks with TV studios are apparently going smoothly for the most part, but Apple is looking past the 20 or so channels Sling TV already has, focused on bringing a real expansive lineup to the internet TV service.

This might make Apple’s service competitive with Sony’s PlayStation Vue coming later this year, which should feature around 50-75 channels. This is the real cable killer, but will only feature on-demand content for three days.

It does bring up a good question, will 2015 be the year where you do not need a cable subscription? If Apple and Sony deliver, that answer might well be yes. The cable box will be replaced with four or five subscriptions to popular services, streamed to a TV through a set-top box or streaming stick.

Apple will most likely announce the internet TV service at WWDC 2015, alongside the re-launch of Beats Music.

SOURCE: WSJ

PHOTO: CNET