{"id":337421,"date":"2017-04-03T06:13:16","date_gmt":"2017-04-02T22:13:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2017\/04\/02\/apple-hbo-showtime-starz-tv-bundle\/"},"modified":"2017-04-03T06:13:16","modified_gmt":"2017-04-02T22:13:16","slug":"apple-could-offer-hbo-showtime-and-starz-channels-as-premium-tv-bundle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/apple-could-offer-hbo-showtime-and-starz-channels-as-premium-tv-bundle\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple Could Offer HBO, Showtime, and Starz Channels as &#8216;Premium TV Bundle&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Apple is considering offering HBO, Showtime, and Starz television channels in a combined &#8220;premium TV bundle&#8221; to be delivered to viewers via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/roundup\/apple-tv\/\">Apple TV<\/a> and iOS devices, according to a new report on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Apple already enables users to buy the named channels individually, but according to a source who spoke to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.recode.net\/2017\/4\/2\/15155816\/apple-hbo-showtime-starz\">Recode<\/a><\/em>, Apple has approached the three networks about rolling them up into a single paid package similar to how conventional TV operators market their channels.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.macrumors.com\/article-new\/2017\/01\/apple-tv-westworld-800x530.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-543359\"\/><br \/>However, unlike paid TV operators like Charter, which usually require consumers to subscribe to a basic range of TV channels before offering a premium bundle, Apple wants to provide the package as an upfront standalone option for all its consumers.<\/p>\n<p>Apple has yet to nail down a deal with any of the networks, according to industry sources, while representatives from HBO, Stars, and Showtime declined to comment on the report. Apple also didn&#8217;t respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Apple currently offers HBO for $15 a month, Showtime for $11 a month, and Stars for $9 a month, but <em>Recode<\/em> had no information on the price of any possible bundle package.<\/p>\n<p>Apple&#8217;s attempts to set up a traditional streaming bundle of TV channels have come to nothing in recent years, despite rival companies like Google and Hulu announcing plans of their own.<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, Apple was in talks for a streaming television service that would bundle several popular live channels and on-demand television at a price point of approximately $30 per month, but Apple <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2015\/12\/08\/cbs-ceo-apple-streaming-service-on-hold\/\">canned the project<\/a> after being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2016\/01\/19\/apple-frustrated-by-inability-to-reach-tv-deals\/\">unable to establish the necessary deals<\/a> because content providers were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2015\/12\/09\/apple-tv-skinny-bundle-resistance\/\">reluctant to unbundle their channels<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The company&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2016\/07\/28\/apple-negotiation-tactics-tv-market\/\">assertive negotiation tactics<\/a> with cable providers have also been blamed, with Apple executives accused of making demands networks aren&#8217;t prepared to meet. Content providers meanwhile have been reluctant to agree to Apple&#8217;s terms for fear of potentially compromising their traditional revenue streams.<\/p>\n<p>Apart from its TV subscription service ambitions, Apple is said to be building a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2017\/01\/12\/apple-original-tv-shows-end-of-2017\/\">significant<\/a>&#8221; business centered around creating original, scripted television shows and possibly even movies, for a possible launch by the end of 2017.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Apple is considering offering HBO, Showtime, and Starz television channels in a combined &#8220;premium TV bundle&#8221; to be delivered to viewers via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/roundup\/apple-tv\/\">Apple TV<\/a> and iOS devices, according to a new report on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Apple already enables users to buy the named channels individually, but according to a source who spoke to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.recode.net\/2017\/4\/2\/15155816\/apple-hbo-showtime-starz\">Recode<\/a><\/em>, Apple has approached the three networks about rolling them up into a single paid package similar to how conventional TV operators market their channels.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cdn.macrumors.com\/article-new\/2017\/01\/apple-tv-westworld-800x530.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-543359\" \/><br \/>\n<br \/>\nHowever, unlike paid TV operators like Charter, which usually require consumers to subscribe to a basic range of TV channels before offering a premium bundle, Apple wants to provide the package as an upfront standalone option for all its consumers.<\/p>\n<p>Apple has yet to nail down a deal with any of the networks, according to industry sources, while representatives from HBO, Stars, and Showtime declined to comment on the report. Apple also didn&#8217;t respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Apple currently offers HBO for &#36;15 a month, Showtime for &#36;11 a month, and Stars for &#36;9 a month, but <em>Recode<\/em> had no information on the price of any possible bundle package.<\/p>\n<p>Apple&#8217;s attempts to set up a traditional streaming bundle of TV channels have come to nothing in recent years, despite rival companies like Google and Hulu announcing plans of their own. <\/p>\n<p>In 2015, Apple was in talks for a streaming television service that would bundle several popular live channels and on-demand television at a price point of approximately &#36;30 per month, but Apple <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2015\/12\/08\/cbs-ceo-apple-streaming-service-on-hold\/\">canned the project<\/a> after being <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2016\/01\/19\/apple-frustrated-by-inability-to-reach-tv-deals\/\">unable to establish the necessary deals<\/a> because content providers were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2015\/12\/09\/apple-tv-skinny-bundle-resistance\/\">reluctant to unbundle their channels<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The company&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2016\/07\/28\/apple-negotiation-tactics-tv-market\/\">assertive negotiation tactics<\/a> with cable providers have also been blamed, with Apple executives accused of making demands networks aren&#8217;t prepared to meet. Content providers meanwhile have been reluctant to agree to Apple&#8217;s terms for fear of potentially compromising their traditional revenue streams. <\/p>\n<p>Apart from its TV subscription service ambitions, Apple is said to be building a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/2017\/01\/12\/apple-original-tv-shows-end-of-2017\/\">significant<\/a>&#8221; business centered around creating original, scripted television shows and possibly even movies, for a possible launch by the end of 2017.<\/p>\n<div class=\"linkback\">Related Roundups: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/roundup\/apple-tv\/\">Apple TV<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.macrumors.com\/roundup\/tvos-10\/\">tvOS 10<\/a> <br \/>Buyer&#8217;s Guide: <a href=\"https:\/\/buyersguide.macrumors.com\/#Apple_TV\">Apple TV (Don&#8217;t Buy)<\/a> <\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forums.macrumors.com\/threads\/apple-hbo-showtime-starz-tv-bundle.2039945\/\">Discuss this article<\/a> in our forums<\/p>\n<div class=\"feedflare\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.macrumors.com\/~ff\/MacRumors-All?a=K1lLPhQs1qE:uu2_Kmc4QAo:6W8y8wAjSf4\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/MacRumors-All?d=6W8y8wAjSf4\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/feeds.macrumors.com\/~ff\/MacRumors-All?a=K1lLPhQs1qE:uu2_Kmc4QAo:qj6IDK7rITs\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/MacRumors-All?d=qj6IDK7rITs\" border=\"0\"><\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~r\/MacRumors-All\/~4\/K1lLPhQs1qE\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" alt=\"\"\/> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5817,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[68,69,59,26],"class_list":["post-337421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology","tag-apple","tag-macrumors","tag-media","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5817"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337421"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337421\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}