Apple Planning to Launch Streaming TV Service Featuring ABC, CBS, Fox and More

Apple is in talks with programmers including CBS, 21st Century Fox and Walt Disney to launch a subscription-based streaming TV service this fall, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report, citing sources familiar with the matter, claims that the service would have about 25 channels, cost between $30 to $40 per month and be available on iPad, iPhone and Apple TV. The service is said to debut at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June ahead of a September launch in the United States.

appletv.jpg
Apple's web-based TV service will reportedly deliver a lightweight package anchored by popular networks such as ABC, CBS, ESPN and FX, but will not include smaller channels typically included in a standard cable TV package. The report adds that NBCUniversal content could be notably absent due to a falling-out between Apple and NBC parent company Comcast. The two sides were allegedly in negotiations as recently as last year, although Apple believed that Comcast was too focused on its own X1 set-top box for web-based streaming.

Apple has been rumored to be working on a subscription-based TV service since at least 2009, when it was reported that CBS and Walt Disney were considering participating in the web-based service. A similar report surfaced in early 2012, claiming that Apple was pushing ahead with its TV service in time for a potential launch by Christmas. The Wall Street Journal provided further details about the service later in 2012, but the plans have yet to materialize nearly three years since.

Rumors surrounding Apple's much-rumored TV service gained momentum again last month when Re/code reported that Apple was in talks with television programmers over deals that would see the company offer a web-based TV service. Such a service would potentially allow Apple to deliver customized television packages that would be streamed over the Internet across iOS devices, providing access to a bundle of channels from participating content providers. The recent announcement of HBO Now also supports rumors that Apple is interested in streaming TV content.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
maxresdefault

iOS 26 Code Leak Reveals Apple Smart Home Hub Details

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:02 pm PST by
Apple is working on a smart home hub that will rely heavily on the more capable version of Siri that's coming next year. We've heard quite a bit about the hub over the last two years, but a recent iOS 26 code leak provides additional insight into what we can expect and confirms rumored features. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Macworld claims to have access to an ...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...

Top Rated Comments

JCrz Avatar
140 months ago
I hope this isn't what Steve Jobs meant when he said he cracked the code for TV.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newdeal Avatar
140 months ago
so wait, $30-$40 a month for what I can get right now, for free, over the air, in HD, with an antenna? This does not sound appealing to me
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BrentD Avatar
140 months ago
Cable + Internet runs me just over $100/month. If I ditch the cable and keep just the internet, I lose the bundle discount. So then my internet alone runs $60-70. Add the $30-40 subscription for this new service so I can "cut the cord", and I'm left with fewer channels, and have basically the same sort of on-demand options I have with cable.

I'm sorry, but until internet service pricing dips down to the sub-$20 range for 15Mbps or more, there's really not much appeal in these things. Especially when ISPs are implementing these soft bandwidth caps now.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
140 months ago
So why would I want this over DirecTV? It seems like nothing more than s slimmed down cable package.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fullauto Avatar
140 months ago
*USA only service
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ugcop Avatar
140 months ago
Comcast = 147 channels and nothing to watch
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)