Peter Kafka, writing for All Things Digital, suggests that Apple may be pitching an iTunes subscription service to TV network executives. The basic idea is that for $30 a month, subscribers could watch unlimited content posted by TV networks to the iTunes Store. Revenue would be shared between Apple and the content providers.
Courtesy of Apple
There haven't been any takers so far, probably due in part to a reluctance to anger cable providers and upset an important revenue stream. There may also be some of the typical reluctance to try something new. I can imagine network execs on the golf course saying, "You go first." "No, you go first."
Peter thinks the most likely candidate to go first is Disney, which owns ABC. Disney already has a relationship with Apple, and provides content to iTunes. The fact that Steve Jobs is the largest Disney shareholder may also play a part.
Peter thinks Apple wants to launch the iTunes TV subscription service sometime in the first half of 2010. We'll have to wait and see what develops.
Good ideas that we should pursue.