According to unnamed sources cited by AllThingsD, Apple is trying to secure backing for a monthly TV subscription service – not unlike your average cable or satellite provider. The supposed service would cost $30 per month, and would be delivered via iTunes. This would make the service accessible to various devices and platforms, rather than binding it to a specific piece of hardware, like Apple TV.
Apple's service would not only rival standard cable networks, but could stifle several video sites' attempts to implement a pay model for premium content – namely YouTube and Hulu. Apple is said to be in talks with various networks, and if the company is successful, it wants to launch the service by early next year. Industry executives say that if anyone bites first, it will be Disney, as CEO Bob Iger has expressed interest in experimenting with Apple and iTunes in the past.
Would you drop your cable subscription in favor of an Apple-owned, iTunes-distributed TV service?