Google vs. iTunes in battle for streaming TV supremacy

The Civil War it's not, but news that Google is opening another front in its battle with Apple for supremacy in "Techworld" is making some waves nonetheless.

The search giant, battling with Apple in the smartphone market, is rumored to be considering taking Apple's iTunes on next, offering streaming TV episodes for $1.99 a pop. It's an in-your-face affront to Apple's iTunes, which also offers streaming TV for $1.99. Apple, meanwhile, is doing his best to convince network executive to support a $30-per-month iTunes TV subscription play.

While YouTube already offers some streaming TV, the biggest difference is that the YouTube streams play, well, on the YouTube platform. An iTunes streamed episode can be saved on a user's own computer and be watched at any time on any device (including the aforementioned iPhone). Both iTunes and Amazon currently offer first run TV episodes the day after they air.

MediaMemo is reporting that Google's negotiations have yet to bear fruit, but that both sides are "optimistic." It said the YouTube model may be problematic for studios and networks that are looking to price all streams the same, fearing that changing them for YouTube would force them to change for other outlets as well. To avoid that, YouTube may be looking at shows that currently aren't available anywhere else, or at shows that don't have as big a following, leaving the hit series to iTunes and Amazon.

For more:
- see this MediaMemo article

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