Amazon seeks licenses for new pay-TV service with live channels - report [u]

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Amazon is reportedly negotiating with major entertainment companies for the rights to rebroadcast content live over the Internet as part of a new pay TV service from the online retailer.

Instant


Amazon recently got into the original content business with its own exclusive programming for the Amazon Prime service. But the new direction for the company, revealed on Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal, which see Amazon act as more of a cable operator, offering existing channels with live programming streaming over the Internet.

The company's current Prime Instant Video service offers content on demand, including original comedies like "Alpha House" and "Betas," along with children's programs "Annebots," "Tumbleaf," and "Creative Galaxy."

While Amazon is said to be in talks with major content providers, no specific parties were named on Tuesday's report. In addition, the Journal said the plans are in the "early stages," which suggests that a launch may not be imminent.

In addition, the report noted that similar initiatives are being pursued by Sony and Google. However, it made no mention of Apple, which has been rumored to be pursuing such deals in the past as part of its living room "hobby."

Instant
Amazon's current Instant Video iPhone app.


Late last year, reports suggested that Amazon is planning to launch its own set-top box hardware, akin to the Apple TV, this spring. Amazon's hardware is said to be code-named "Cinnamon," and reports have suggested it would be capable of doing expected living room tasks such as streaming movies, TV shows and music.

It was also said that Amazon has been in negotiations with cable companies and other content providers to build their own apps for the device.

Apple, meanwhile, is also rumored to be working on its own hardware refresh for the Apple TV. The last time the company's living room hardware was given an update was March 2012, though a number of subsequent software updates have added new features and channels.

Update: Amazon rebuffed the reports of an over-the-top TV service in an email to USA Today. According to spokesman Drew Herdener, the company will instead continue to push Prime Instant Video and crete original shows at Amazon Studios.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member
    If networks and studios are afraid to enter into agreements with Apple that might 'do to movies and tv what they did to music', why in the world would they get into bed with Amazon, who's whole business model is to drive the price of everything they touch into the dirt?
  • Reply 2 of 15
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GQB View Post



    If networks and studios are afraid to enter into agreements with Apple that might 'do to movies and tv what they did to music', why in the world would they get into bed with Amazon, who's whole business model is to drive the price of everything they touch into the dirt?

    Just like their ebook pricing, they'll take a loss with each content subscription….but they'll just make up for it with volume.  :rolleyes:

     

    /s

  • Reply 3 of 15
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    It's inevitable that some all-in-one TV streaming service will be available for the masses. Services like Aereo is smacking the local TV service and will only get worse.

    Folks in the entertainment business have to do something. They have already admitted ages ago that they just don't have the technical know-how to pull of a successful online service. Sign with someone (preferable Apple) that knows how to do it right.

    I'd love nothing more than to dump my cable provider and watch all my regular TV stuff via streaming. The old model is slowly becoming obsolete.
  • Reply 4 of 15
    Quote:


     It's inevitable that some all-in-one TV streaming service will be available for the masses.


    Yeah and it's also inevitable that we will start having to pay for internet usage by how much we use.  Cable/Communication companies are going to have to make up for the fact we are no longer paying for a TV subscription!

  • Reply 5 of 15
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    gqb wrote: »
    If networks and studios are afraid to enter into agreements with Apple that might 'do to movies and tv what they did to music', why in the world would they get into bed with Amazon, who's whole business model is to drive the price of everything they touch into the dirt?

    Amazon already sells TV shows/movies which are priced like everyone else.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    sflocal wrote: »
    It's inevitable that some all-in-one TV streaming service will be available for the masses. Services like Aereo is smacking the local TV service and will only get worse.

    Folks in the entertainment business have to do something. They have already admitted ages ago that they just don't have the technical know-how to pull of a successful online service. Sign with someone (preferable Apple) that knows how to do it right.

    I'd love nothing more than to dump my cable provider and watch all my regular TV stuff via streaming. The old model is slowly becoming obsolete.

    Which is why Verizon did this.

    http://m.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/verizon-buys-intels-cloud-tv-service/2014/01/21/67e94336-82a5-11e3-9dd4-e7278db80d86_story.html?tid=hpModule_1728cf4a-8a79-11e2-98d9-3012c1cd8d1e
  • Reply 7 of 15
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member

    Well network neutrality and now the lack there of, really calls this all into question. Since service providers may now prioritize traffic as they like and services like this will be a horrible experience. Do you think Services provider who will charge more will allow Amazon and such to stream freely over their networks.

     

    I have been streaming Netflix over my Comcast 25Mbs pipe and there are times it sucks like Friday and Saturday nights (i really do not care since it is my kids who use it) I also have Amazon prime and been watching a few of their free movies and its quality is far worse than Netflix especially if you stream to a computer. Yeah Amazon will cut the price but they are streaming the lowest quality. Again stream is not Amazon's primary business so it not going to be as good as Netflix or Hulu. 

     

    I thought competition is suppose to make things better for the consumer, however all the fragmentation is giving the consumers a lesser product. But hey it is free and they get to sell your inform.

  • Reply 8 of 15

    At this point in time, Amazon (or Netflix) makes more sense to me than Apple for this type TV platform. The one huge advantage Amazon/Netflix has is that they are okay with releasing apps to multiple platforms (apple, android, windows, etc). The user base would be bigger because of that and that would make more sense for the cable companies. 

  • Reply 9 of 15
    taniwhataniwha Posts: 347member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by orange3324 View Post

     

    At this point in time, Amazon (or Netflix) makes more sense to me than Apple for this type TV platform. The one huge advantage Amazon/Netflix has is that they are okay with releasing apps to multiple platforms (apple, android, windows, etc). The user base would be bigger because of that and that would make more sense for the cable companies. 




    I think you're quite right, but it would be a similar effect in all areas where market share is relevant . automotive systems also. As long as Apple remains focussed on one proprietory platform it's hard to see them being competitive with Google (Android) or Amazon. Many people in the US also tend to overlook that the market share outside the US is completely different to within the US and in many of these markets Apple has quite a small market share and diminishing in some cases. (which I believe I read somewhere, for example is the case in Germany, although I can't quote numbers for that market, so don't take my word for that.)

     

    It's going to be interesting to see how the game plays out.

  • Reply 10 of 15
    Great! If I'm looking for service that I have to pay for that streams HD in standard definition (or worse) and isn't compatible with AppleTV AirPlay, I'll keep this in mind.
  • Reply 11 of 15
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    Apple isn't proprietary in Music and downloaded videos - iTunes. But I think that philosophy has declined. If they could offer streaming TV properly it would be via an iTunes subscription - so you don't need anything but that and a ( revamped) Apple TV. Plenty of Windows users have iTunes. Use it to open the market.
  • Reply 12 of 15
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    Just like their ebook pricing, they'll take a loss with each content subscription….but they'll just make up for it with volume.  :rolleyes:

    /s
    Or they won't. Amazon doesn't post numbers, and most assume they do very poorly, compared to to what they could be doing with a respectable business model.
  • Reply 13 of 15
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    sflocal wrote: »
    It's inevitable that some all-in-one TV streaming service will be available for the masses. Services like Aereo is smacking the local TV service and will only get worse.

    Folks in the entertainment business have to do something. They have already admitted ages ago that they just don't have the technical know-how to pull of a successful online service. Sign with someone (preferable Apple) that knows how to do it right.

    I'd love nothing more than to dump my cable provider and watch all my regular TV stuff via streaming. The old model is slowly becoming obsolete.

    It will only get better, you mean.

    And I've already dumped cable. There's nothing on worth watching. Nothing. Go read instead. When you need to kick back and be entertained, iTunes + AppleTV is great value and content. Stop telling yourself there's something worth watching on major networks. There isn't.
  • Reply 14 of 15
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by pmz View Post





    It will only get better, you mean.



    And I've already dumped cable. There's nothing on worth watching. Nothing. Go read instead. When you need to kick back and be entertained, iTunes + AppleTV is great value and content. Stop telling yourself there's something worth watching on major networks. There isn't.

     

     Heisenburg disagrees...

  • Reply 15 of 15
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    justp1ayin wrote: »
     Heisenburg disagrees...

    Amazon is "not planning to license television channels or offer a pay-TV service,” despite contrary reports, says spokesman Drew Herdener.

    Ofttimes I think readers miss the end-of-the-article updates AI adds to their stories. IMO those update mentions should come a bit earlier in the articles.
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