After shuttering streaming plans, Apple may bundle HBO, Showtime, Starz instead

By Kris Wouk April 3, 2017

Apple TV — Image used with permission by copyright holder

In 2016, rumors were flying that Apple was looking into providing a live TV streaming service along the lines of Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, or DirecTV Now. The company later put that idea on the back burner, but that doesn’t mean that Apple is done with trying to make its way into your living room. Now, the company is looking into offering a bundle of premium pay-TV services, according to Recode.

The bundle will consist of at least three popular subscription-based TV apps: HBO, Showtime, and Starz. Apple already provides these apps on both the Apple TV and iOS devices, but this bundle would presumably drop the price, drawing customers away from subscribing via other methods, like authenticating via pay-TV logins.

Apple has yet to confirm or deny the rumor, but that is par for the course for the company when it comes to rumors. HBO owner Time Warner, Showtime owner CBS, and Starz owner Lionsgate have all refrained from commenting on the rumor. Whether the company is looking to include other channels in the bundle or possibly sell different bundles featuring a variety of channels remains to be seen.

While Apple may have suspended its live TV streaming plans, the company is actively pursuing viewers’ TV time. Last year the company introduced a TV app for both tvOS and iOS devices aimed at being a central hub for watching movies and TV shows, and the company is moving toward producing its own original content as well. Offering a bundle of channels that customers often get access to via their cable or satellite subscription could possibly draw more viewers to Apple’s hardware and software services.

Stand-alone pricing is $15 per month for HBO, $11 per month for Showtime, and $9 per month for Starz. What the company is looking to charge for the bundle is currently unknown.

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Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

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