Apple plans to stream the latest TV series to subscribers

Apple negotiates with Disney and CBS about the giving subscribers access to the latest episodes of TV content owned by the two media companies. These series can then be streamed using iTunes. Users would subscribe to a series per season and than be able to watch it on their computer, mobile telephone or TV.

In establishing this new service, Apple would create a new distribution channel and become a direct competitor of the TV channels. This may put the traditional prices under pressure, which is good for customers.

Whether or not the new service will become a success depends to a large part on the cooperation that Apple receives from the media companies. If Apple would like to offer a serious alternative to traditional television, it will have to close deals with more that just Disney or CBS.

Earlier, Apple focused completely on downloading as means to distribute content over the Internet. Steve Jobs was convinced that people would value the idea of ownership over their purchases and that downloading would fill that need better than streaming would. However, Apple recently acquired Lala, a company with in-house knowledge and technology for streaming music. This technology can also be used to stream other types of media and will stand Apple in good stead now.

30-12-2009