Apple Takes Another Stab at TV

Photo of Trey Thoelcke
By Trey Thoelcke Published
This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

After years of trying to infiltrate the living room, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) may be about to take its most ambitious crack at it yet, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Apple is talking with Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) and other U.S. cable operators about letting consumers use an Apple device as a set-top box for live television. TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO) and Samsung Electronics already sell set-top boxes, so far without making a big impact on the market.

The box would offer programming purchased from iTunes and some streaming apps like Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX). Apple wants to be the exclusive provider of set-top boxes using Internet Protocol technology, and it wants the cable operators to service the box.

By teaming up with existing service providers rather than licensing content to compete directly with them, Apple has chosen a less radical path to expand into television than it has considered in the past. The path is like the one Apple followed to transform the mobile-phone industry: convincing existing service providers to combine their service with Apple’s hardware and software.

Apple does not appear to have reached a deal with any cable operators yet. Television distributors and media companies have been reluctant to let technology companies get a foothold in the arena, worried about ceding control the same way record labels and wireless carriers have done in the past. But Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said the company believes the set-top device “will lead us somewhere.”

Photo of Trey Thoelcke
About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.

Featured Reads

Our top personal finance-related articles today. Your wallet will thank you later.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

CBOE Vol: 1,568,143
PSKY Vol: 12,285,993
STX Vol: 7,378,346
ORCL Vol: 26,317,675
DDOG Vol: 6,247,779

Top Losing Stocks

LKQ
LKQ Vol: 4,367,433
CLX Vol: 13,260,523
SYK Vol: 4,519,455
MHK Vol: 1,859,865
AMGN Vol: 3,818,618