CBS CEO Les Moonves all but confirmed Apple’s plans for a streaming television service at the Code Conference in California today, when he told Re/code’s Kara Swisher that CBS will “probably” sign a deal to be a part of its streaming service.
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.”
Moonves says he doesn’t know for sure when the streaming television service will launch. The much rumored service is expected by many to be unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which begins June 8th. However, Apple’s reported effort to include local programming could delay the announcement until later.
Moonves commented that “Apple TV is trying to change the universe,” by offering a smaller bundle of TV networks to viewers, which he noted was similar to plans already offered by Sony and Dish Network.
“I think the age of the 200 channel universe is slowly dying,” Moonves said. “The good news for us, is any one of those groups will need CBS,” adding that his network will get a bigger proportion of whatever revenue those “skinny bundles” generate than it does in traditional packages.
Apple streaming television service is expected to offer an initial package of around 25 channels for between $30 and $40 per month. Popular networks such as ABC, CBS, ESPN, FOX, and FX are expected to be included in the bundle. The service is expected to be made available to U.S. users of Apple’s iOS devices and the Apple TV sometime in the fall if content agreements can be reached in time.
(Via MacRumors)
