CBS boss Les Moonves again acknowledges Apple’s ‘new skinny bundle’ TV Service, will probably sign up

At a Re/Code event today where Apple’s Jeff Williams is currently speaking, CBS’s Les Moonves told the audience that he’s also speaking to Apple…about a TV deal.

CBS CEO Les Moonves says his network will “probably” sign a deal with Apple to carry his network. “We’re very excited about it,” he told Kara Swisher at the Code Conference Wednesday morning. Moonves said that he met with Apple media boss Eddy Cue last week to discuss Apple’s plans, as part of an “ongoing conversation.”

Typically the #1 rule about negotiating deals with Apple is that you don’t talk about negotiating deals with Apple, but at this point the Apple TV needs network support more than the networks need Apple TV.

Moonves compared the service to other “skinny bundles” and said he’s not sure “how long it would take to hammer out a deal or when Apple would launch its service.” The main negotiating point? “Money.””

The funny thing is, Apple and Moonves have been at this for YEARS. It was the same story in 2012, except Mooneves was negotiating with Steve Jobs at the time and spilling the beans over an earnings call. From today:

“Apple TV is trying to change the universe,” Moonves said, by offering a smaller bundle of TV networks, delivered over the Web, than pay TV providers traditionally sell. Moonves said Apple’s effort was similar to ones that have already launched from Dish Network’s Sling and Sony’s Vue.