Apple has long been rumored to be working on a full fledged TV set. The company hasn’t said if it plans on entering the TV market with a product of its own, though many analysts are of the view that Apple may release its TV set next year. The company is reportedly negotiating with networks and production studios over content for the TV. ESPN, HBO and Viacom are named among the companies Apple is talking to. It is unclear right now if any deals will be finalized in the near future.
The report goes on to claim that Apple might form its own pay TV service, delivering content to subscribers for a fee, essentially becoming a cable company albeit one that delivers content over the internet. It is believed that this pay TV service might be launched alongside the full fledged TV set. Apple would essentially control the entire TV experience on its new product, thus eliminating the need for customers to hook it up with a cable box from another company. Apple has reportedly declined to comment on this rumor and so has Viacom. ESPN spokesman Chris LaPlaca has confirmed that they’ve had talks, but he refers to them as “very, very exploratory” in nature and adds that no formal discussions have taken place yet.