Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) wants to move quickly on its over-the-top pay-TV service, and it's willing to make major concessions to programmers to make it happen.
This is the upshot of a New York Post follow-up report on Wednesday, which says the Silicon Valley giant is willing to share audience data with programmers in order to get them to sign on to its prospective OTT service.
"They're allowing a lot more decision-making by the content owner," an anonymous source told the Post. Apple, the source added, has told programmers, "It's up to you, whatever you guys want to do."
Access to viewer data has been a concern for content companies, with early leaders in the streaming-video market, notably SVOD services Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), refusing to share basic metrics on programming.
On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is talking to 21st Century Fox, the Walt Disney Company and CBS Corp., among others, about launching a new streaming service in the fall.
It was only the latest big WSJ scoop about a potential Apple TV service. However, Apple's intent seems to be quite a bit more focused now.
Beyond adding the angle of audience concessions, the Post also reported that Apple is aiming for a price point of around $20 a month. The New York Times, meanwhile, quoted various sources that said the service would be positioned in the $30-a-month range.
Meanwhile, the tech blog Apple Insider reported that the company is also in talks with Discovery Networks and Viacom about the new service.
Apple appears to be talking to everyone except Comcast/NBCUniversal (NASDAQ: CMCSA). One of the more interesting tidbits in the WSJ report was that Apple is holding a grudge against the conglomerate, after the two sides talked last year about teaming up on a streaming service. Apple executives reportedly felt "strung along" by Comcast, which is focused on developing its X1 platform these days.
Said one Post anonymous source: "Apple just realized, it's never happening and they can't ever do a deal with them."
For more:
- read this New York Post story
- read this Apple Insider story
- read this New York Times story
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