HBO In Talks With Apple For New Streaming Service: Reports

(RTTNews) - HBO is in talks with at least five companies including Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Google Inc. (GOOG) to distribute the Web-only service, according to reports citing people familiar with the matter.

HBO's current streaming channel, HBO Go, is already available on Apple TV but only to pay-TV subscribers. HBO's new service, tentatively called HBO Now, would let consumers watch the channel via Apple TV without paying for a cable subscription, the reports said.

TiVo Inc. reportedly said it was in discussions with HBO about distributing the service.

HBO is in talks with other potential distributors, including Cox Communications Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp.

The reports indicated that Apple may be the first company to agree to distribute HBO's Web-only service because HBO's negotiations with its longtime cable partners are more complex. The price of a subscription to the Web service isn't set but will likely cost the same as the cable channel, which is about $15 per month.

By offering its channel outside the cable bundle, HBO could prompt more consumers to cut the cord and threaten the TV ecosystem. The move pits HBO directly against online streaming service Netflix Inc., which has more than 57 million subscribers worldwide.