For years rumours have circulated that Apple has plans to enter the TV channel market and begin selling its own “skinny bundles” to consumers, though it’s believed negotiations with various television providers have turned sour, forcing the company to repeatedly shelve the project.
In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, however, Apple’s Eddy Cue, the company’s senior vice-president of software, was uncharacteristically candid regarding Apple’s future TV plans.
“As a matter of fact, I’m not a big fan of the skinny bundle,” said Cue, who then went on to say that his main issue with television is that he doesn’t think that consumers are paying too much for television they don’t want, but that the technology used to deliver TV isn’t up to par anymore.
This statement conflicts with Apple’s efforts to launch an unbundled television app for its Apple TV set-top box, which have actually been spearheaded by Cue in the first place, though some believe his comments were taken out of context to some extent.
Cue says that he sees a future where channel guides and DVRs are a thing of the past and that the Apple TV acts as a universal platform, linking disparate services, all controlled by the user’s voice. He also claims Apple has no interest in getting into the television content business, despite revealing plans to launch two original shows in the near future.
“We’re not in the business of trying to create TV shows,” said Cue in the interview. “If we see it being complementary to the things we’re doing at Apple Music or if we see it being something that’s innovative on our platform, we may help them and guide them and make suggestions. But we’re not trying to compete with Netflix or compete with Comcast.”
Earlier this week Apple revealed “Planet of the Apps,” a reality show focused on app developers. A scripted Dr. Dre lead project is also in the works, though Cue wouldn’t discuss this project during the interview.
Whether or not this means Apple’s revolutionary TV package plans are dead remains to be seen. Cue’s comments during his interview with the Hollywood Reporter certainly seems to indicate negotiations have halted at least for the time being.
Related reading: Apple reveals ‘Planet of the apps’ reality TV series
[source]Hollywood Reporter[/source]
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