Apple’s attempts to license content from US TV networks such as CBS and Fox are reported to be progressing slowly, leading to the delay.
Advertisement
While the live TV aspect will have to wait, Apple is still expected to launch a next generation of its Apple TV next month, alongside the iPhone 6s.
The people said Apple decided to cancel its plans to announce the live TV service during an event in San Francisco on September 9 because it does not have enough deals in place. However, the company is still planning to introduce the next version of its Apple TV set-top box at that event, the report continued. Considering Apple TV has fallen behind in the streaming content set top box game, rolling out a new model sooner instead of later makes sense. That’s roughly half of the average cable bill in the U.S.
Apple’s plan to revolutionize television is going to be on hold until next year as licensing deals and discussions are taking longer than expected.
Secondly, though, Apple does not exactly have the network capacity to guarantee the same high-quality viewing experience that HD television and many internet portals can offer. The Apple TV and movie service has been delayed until 2016. Similarly, the tech firm is trying to provide a package comprising popular channels for $40 per month.
Apple intended to re-invent its Apple TV service, with an aim to acquire a decent market share by providing users with a trimmed package at reasonable charges. For that, customers would need to have a Satellite TV subscription, cable or an antenna to watch live TV network.
Advertisement
Akamai CEO Tom Leighton declined to say whether the company’s increased spending was tied to an Apple TV service. As such they’re effectively terrified of disruption, even though Apple’s end product may (with the exception of local live broadcast streams) not be all that different from existing and looming services by Verizon, Sling, and Sony. And so with many question marks still looming, Apple has astutely decided to be patient as opposed to rolling out its planned TV service prematurely.
