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CBS CEO now says company has had no ‘recent talks’ with Apple about streaming TV service

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Apple’s streaming web TV service has been rumored for nearly a year now, with reports originating last March claiming that Apple was planning to announce a service at $30-$40 per month. The service was said to feature upwards of 25 channels and be available on the fourth-gen Apple TV. Recently, however, reports have claimed that Apple’s talks with major networks have stalled. Now, speaking to CNN, CBS CEO Les Moonves has confirmed that talks between Apple and CBS have stopped recently.

“We had conversations awhile back, and we haven’t had recent conversations with them,” Moonves said regarding CBS’ talks with Apple regarding a streaming TV service. Regarding current talks about streaming TV, Moonves said that “the phone is always ringing,” but it appears none of those calls are from Apple anymore.

In the past, Moonves commented that Apple was “having conversations with everyone about doing their own streaming service,” even going as far as to say CBS was “very excited” about reaching a deal for the service.

Recent reports have echoed Moonves’ comments. In December, it was reported that Apple had suspended its plans for a web TV service due to the struggles it was facing in negotiating with networks, something that has plagued Apple since it began its mission to launch streaming TV. ESPN’s president delivered a similar message last month.

In an interview last November, Eddy Cue bounced around the idea of Apple launching a streaming service, explaining that with the tvOS App Store, networks are free to release their own subscription services at their own prices.

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Comments

  1. Lawrence Krupp - 8 years ago

    This is a struggle between content providers like CBS, cable/satellite providers like Comcast, and streaming wannabes like Apple or Google or Amazon. It’s all about the money, who gets it, and how much.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      Apple has a good relationship with CBS they had an exclusive for the Showtime subscription and now off CBS All Access.

      At this point I think Apple would be better off offering a Netflix and Hulu competitor then a subscription service. like Sling TV. Offer Tv shows a day after release like they are on iTunes and offer new movies for a monthly price. Basically get all movies and TV available through iTunes available for a set price every month. Supplement it with live local channels.

      Or they could buy Dish to have Sling TV.

      • philips9179 - 8 years ago

        Completely agree. Apples got this massive iTunes library available worldwide. Just keep it simple and charge a monthly subscription fee to watch (and stream) whatever you want from it, and let the content producers slug it out. And for people who purchase for example a movie, they can download and play it on there device, as they do now. Apple could stream movies, tv, games (apps) podcasts, books etc, when the Internet is fast and ubiquitous enough. Very expensive buying rights to stuff, and paying celebs to produce stuff!!!

      • yojimbo007 - 8 years ago

        Totally with you !
        There can be different tiers of subscription too.

    • taoprophet420 - 8 years ago

      It would impact Google more then Apple,because Google has Googe Fiber TV. It gives Apple control of the TV Guide which they have wanted for a long time, but is still reliant on people having a TV or Satellite subscription.

      I have an RVU enabled LG webOS TV, but don’t use it to wirelessly get my cable, because DirecT charges a $6 connection fee.

  2. RP - 8 years ago

    I’ll say it again. Forgot the networks. Let them do whatever they want. There are far more things more important to Apple TV than the networks.
    Gaming, making, cloud service integration, making it a better platform, a news service, interactive home screen instead of a static one, I mean the possibilities are endless.

    • Jake Becker - 8 years ago

      I feel like so many people on the outside see this but Apple is maybe just nose-deep into looking at TV and the networks…..

  3. Compete with the networks, give them no breaks, take their customers and charge them a premium for the privilege of offering their content on your box. Create your own content and compete head on with HBO, Showtime and the others. $10/month is the upper limit for a service like Netflix though. Forget about this $30/40 talk.

  4. yojimbo007 - 8 years ago

    Awhile back, recently …..alot, Too little etc. Don’t you love comments like that which say something but mean nothing.
    What is awhile? Or recently….etc? 1 week, one month, six months… Year………..
    Relative terms with no referance points… Says nothing to someone outside the loop .

  5. Apple can literally just buy Time Warner or one of these medial companies and problem solved.

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com