Apple on Tuesday unveiled the Apple TV 4K, their new set top box that will bring 4K HDR content to your 4K HDR -capable television. During the unveiling, the Cupertino firm announced viewers will be able to buy 4K movies for the same price as HD movies, ($20). Movies already purchased in HD will be available in 4K at no extra cost.
During the announcement, Apple quickly showed a slide displaying the movie studios that will offer 4K HDR content. Studios participating include: 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures. Notice one major studio missing from that list?
The Wall Street Journal reports Disney will not be participating.
The one absence from Apple’s list of big studios selling movies in UHD is Disney. It wasn’t immediately clear why the company behind Star Wars and Marvel couldn’t reach an arrangement with Apple. It currently sells its films in 4K on other digital stores, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Vudu, for $24.99.
A Disney spokesman declined to comment.
Disney’s absence is particularly notable given a longstanding close relationship between the two companies. Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger is on Apple’s board of directors and Disney was the first studio to sell television shows and movies on iTunes.
Early on, it was reported that Apple was having issues during negotiations with some major studios over the price of 4K content. Some studios were pushing to have the price set some where in the $25 to $30 range. It appears Disney was one of those studios, and drew a line in the sand, becoming the lone holdout.
