Report: Apple won’t announce a streaming TV service at WWDC
Don’t cancel your cable subscription just yet. Apple’s subscription TV service won’t be announced at WWDC, Re/code is reporting. According to unnamed sources, the official announcement of the highly anticipated new add-on to Apple TV has been pushed back because licensing deals for local programming have not been finalized.
Apple originally wanted to announce the TV service at WWDC next week in order to start building up hype. Apple TV’s subscription service was slated to launch in early fall to coincide with TV broadcast’s premiere schedule. It now looks like TV fans eager to join the cord-cutters club will have to wait until later this year (or maybe even early 2016!) to subscribe to Apple TV’s web service.
Despite the delay and negotiations pending, TV executives are looking forward to partnering with Apple. Just last week, CBS CEO Les Moonves told the audience at the Code Conference that he’s “pretty excited” about Apple’s plan to create, sell, and deliver bundled TV packages over the web.
“Apple TV is trying to change the universe,” Moonves said.
According to Re/code, the holdup has largely to do with securing licensing deals for local programming. Apparently Apple is adamant on offering local programming to differentiate its service from competitors like Dish and Sony. For example, Apple TV viewers would be able to watch the nationally syndicated TV show like Survivor on CBS and then get to tune-in to the 10 o’clock news airing from their local affiliate.
Currently Dish and Sony do not offer local programming, and now we know why. Apple has found out that broadcasters require new technology to be able to air local programming via the web.
Furthermore, networks like NBC and ABC don’t own all the local affiliate stations airing their programming across the country, so negotiations have to happen separately to be able securing rights to local shows and commercials from each individual station. All this is clearly taking a lot longer than Apple anticipated.
Apple is facing another legal holdup with its music streaming service. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the company has not yet finalized deals with three major record labels. However, Apple’s new music service is still rumored to be announced at WWDC next week.
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