CBS Open to Talks on Apple TV, Depending on "What We Get Paid"

With the recent addition of Hulu Plus to the Apple TV platform, analysts are thinking of other video content that could be making its way to the product. Over the years, Apple has updated the Apple TV's software several times, occasionally adding new video content. In 2011, Apple added support for Vimeo, streaming NHL games, and Wall Street Journal videos.

NewImage
As noticed by All Things D, from a Seeking Alpha transcript, CBS CEO Les Moonves answered an analyst's question yesterday about offering CBS content on the Apple TV platform in the future:

Anthony J. DiClemente — Barclays Capital, Research Division

Okay. And then one for Les. You — I’m sure — you may have seen that Apple TV added Hulu onto its platform this week. I’m just wondering, when you think about Apple, are you in any way philosophically opposed to offering CBS on the Apple TV platform? And I know I — just from prior experience, I’m sure your answer will have something to do with getting paid for your content. But more specifically, is there anything you need to see or specifically anything you need to get in order to be convinced that that’s a smart strategy for CBS?

Leslie Moonves

Look, Anthony, you’ve — we’ve had this discussion many times before. You’re right, it depends what the terms are, it depends what we get paid for. It depends on what effect Apple TV would have on either our advertising, our syndication or our retrans, which are our 3 main buckets of revenue for our content. So if it sits in well, like Netflix did and Amazon did, we’re happy to discuss it. If it doesn’t and we’re — they’re using our content to build a business, we’re not quite as favorable to that. So the devil is in the details. I know it sounds like a pat answer, but it’s really true.

Perhaps the biggest competitor to the Apple TV's video streaming is from Microsoft's Xbox 360. The video gaming box has transitioned in recent years to much more of a content device, with Microsoft adding support for video content from Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, Comcast and Verizon FiOS. It is easy to see how adding those last three to the Apple TV could vastly expand the demand for Apple's set-top box, though the sticking point will be how to compensate both Apple and content providers.

Image from Sami

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

space black mbp

Apple Potentially Facing Worst Leak Since iPhone 4 Was Left in a Bar

Monday October 7, 2024 3:03 pm PDT by
Alleged photos and videos of an unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip continue to surface on social media, in what could be the worst product leak for Apple since an employee accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype at a bar in California in 2010. The latest video of what could be a next-generation MacBook Pro was shared on YouTube Shorts today by Russian channel Romancev768, just...
Alleged M4 MacBook Pro Leak Video

Alleged M4 MacBook Pro Unboxing Video Reveals These Four Upgrades

Sunday October 6, 2024 6:10 pm PDT by
An alleged unboxing video for an unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The video was later linked to on social media platform X by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. It is possible that this is the same MacBook Pro box shown in photos that were shared by leaker ShrimpApplePro in late September, as he claimed that this MacBook Pro...
watchos 11 vitals

Apple Watch Users Report Vitals App Detecting Illness Before Symptoms Appear

Monday October 7, 2024 5:34 am PDT by
Apple's new Vitals app for watchOS 11 appears to be impressing some users with its ability to detect potential illness days before symptoms manifest, according to recent reports on Reddit. The Apple Watch app, which analyzes key health metrics measured during sleep over the last seven days, appears to be providing early warnings of impending sickness for at least some Apple Watch wearers...
iPad mini review thumb

iPad Mini 7 Coming Next Month: What to Expect

Tuesday October 8, 2024 6:16 am PDT by
Rumors strongly suggest Apple will release the seventh-generation iPad mini in November, nearly three years after the last refresh. Here's a roundup of what we're expecting from the next version of Apple's small form factor tablet, based on the latest rumors and reports. Design and Display The new iPad mini is likely to retain its compact 8.3-inch display and overall design introduced with...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17

Tuesday October 8, 2024 5:45 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different – already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.1 Beta 6

Monday October 7, 2024 4:27 pm PDT by
We're nearing the end of the iOS 18.1 beta testing process, but Apple is continuing to make tweaks to refine built-in features ahead of when the software launches. With testing winding down, there are fewer new additions, but Apple has made changes worth noting. The new beta is available for both developers and public beta testers. Control Center In the Control Center, Apple has added new...
M4 Real Feature Red

Gurman: Apple to Launch First M4 Macs and Potentially iPad Mini 7 on November 1

Sunday October 6, 2024 6:40 am PDT by
Apple will announce several new M4 Mac models around the end of October, with the company planning to launch at least some of them as soon as Friday, November 1, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that Apple will launch a new M4 version of its low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, as well as higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

Waiting for a New Apple TV? Here's What the Latest Rumors Say

Tuesday October 8, 2024 8:57 am PDT by
The current Apple TV was released two years ago this month, so you may be wondering when the next model will be released. Below, we recap rumors about a next-generation Apple TV. In January 2023, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that a new Apple TV was planned for release in the first half of 2024:Beyond the future smart displays and new speaker, Apple is working on revamping its TV box....

Top Rated Comments

Benjamins Avatar
159 months ago
pay them in itunes credit.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dgree03 Avatar
159 months ago
Given there lineup of shows, "What we get paid" shouldnt be much!

(DISCLAIMER I like "Person of Interest")
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ieo Avatar
159 months ago
I've said it dozens of times....until the Apple TV is opened up to the app store, It's a no-go for me. Without access to the app store, the AppleTV is missing a lot of content my Roku gives me access to like Crackle, Plex, and much more. I don't want anything that's not already available on the app store to the rest of iOS...I just want it on my TV without having to take up my ipad to airplay it.

If the Apple TV were opened up to the apple store (and my favorite apps were available, which I don't see why they wouldn't be)...I would buy 3 of them in a heartbeat. I know MANY, MANY other people who would do the same.

Oh, and make a different remote. The little aluminum sliver doesn't cut it as a remote for a primary entertainment device. At least give me something a little bigger so it isn't CONSTANTLY lost, with programable volume and power buttons to have at least basic control over other parts of my setup.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BornAgainApple Avatar
159 months ago
Big Bang Theory FTW!!! :D
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
emaja Avatar
159 months ago
Oh, and make a different remote. The little aluminum sliver doesn't cut it as a remote for a primary entertainment device. At least give me something a little bigger so it isn't CONSTANTLY lost, with programable volume and power buttons to have at least basic control over other parts of my setup.

Harmony One, my friend. Harmony One.

Everyone I know who has a home theater has a universal remote of some kind.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hobo.hopkins Avatar
159 months ago
wut? CBS has the best sitcoms and yes Person of Interest too

It might have the best in terms of its competition, but that doesn't mean much these days.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)