Apple shopping $30-a-month iTunes TV subscription play

Apple knows it has a winner in its iTunes media storefront and it’s looking to take it to the next level, offering TV networks a $30-per-month subscription plan to deliver television content via iTunes, according to a report in MediaMemo. Apple is hoping the more than 65 million users it already has on iTunes holds enough sway to convince network execs that the idea is worth pursuing, and is looking to launch the service early next year.

The most likely network to jump onto the iTunes bandwagon, says MediaMemo,  would be Disney (Apple boss Steve Jobs is Disney’s largest shareholder), which has had past success with the iTunes platform. In 2005, the company was iTunes’ first video retailer, selling some 500,000 movies--about $4 million worth--in the first two months it used the service.

The report says the iTunes offer from Apple is getting mixed reviews from execs in the industry. While networks are hungry for new revenue streams, they’re concerned about the possible problems it might create with existing content delivery partners like cable operators.

But, the popularity of iTunes might be enough to push the deal through; as one executive told MediaMemo about Apple's prospects to atrract network content: “I think they might get it right this time.”

For more:
- see this report

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