Widely reported speculation indicates Apple is planning a streaming service in the Sling TV mold , but NBCUniversal’s TV offerings won’t be part of it because the Cupertino-based tech giant and Comcast (NBCUniversal’s parent company) couldn’t come to terms. But any disagreements are likely limited to the long-rumored Apple streaming TV service alone, because a new report claims an Apple TV app is still on NBCU’s digital roadmap.
The folks over at 9to5Mac have published what they say is an internal company slide showing the various streaming apps NBC has lined up for the second half of 2015. Based on the purportedly leaked slide, the company has plans for streaming apps for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Microsoft’s Xbox consoles.
The site says NBC’s app will emulate similar offerings from the likes of CNBC, ABC, Fusion, and the History Channel by requiring viewers to verify their cable subscription. The company is likely to persist with this model “if talks for the [Apple] Web TV service continue to stall,” the report claims, adding that the customers will be able to access local news and syndicated programming at no additional cost through the app.
Why this matters : Apple TV has gotten a second wind lately, with the recent announcement that Apple will be the only “non-paid television provider” to offer the upcoming HBO Now standalone streaming service for the first three months. Throw in the fact that it’s now down to $69 and Apple TV quickly emerges as an attractive option for anyone considering buying a streaming set-top box .