Rumours have been afoot that Apple was negotiating with  TV networks for a subscription service for TV shows via the iTunes store. However, the imminent Comcast buyout of NBC may well kill the idea.

Last month it was reported that Apple was sounding out the TV networks about a subscription based service for tv shows at $30 per month. The idea was to base the subscription service around the iTunes service across a variety of hardware platforms.

The plan was that as Steve Jobs (Apple co-founder) was a big shareholder in Disney who in turn own ABC, the content provider was already in place. But with a Comcast owning NBC, would not be interested in playing ball

Analyst of Diffusion Group, Colin Dixon commented that if Apple comes to a Comcast-owned NBC looking for a content-related deal, he believes “they’ll just say no.”

In other words, this could present a potential scenario where Apple could offer a subscription TV deal lacking one of the four big US networks. And still, there is no guarantee that CBS, Fox and even ABC are willing to deal.

Through the NBC deal, Comcast will also gain control of a number of prominent cable channels that produce original content, including USA Network, SyFy and Bravo. Content from all three cable networks, along with broadcast NBC, is currently available on iTunes.

NBC Universal had its share of issues with iTunes, long before Comcast came along, including the company’s chief executive, Jeff Zucker, urging his colleagues to take a stand against iTunes. He argued that the service undermined the ability of traditional media companies to set profitable rates for their content online. He said that Apple “destroyed the music business,” and would do the same by mispricing video content.

But in 2008, the allure of 65 million viewers at iTunes proved too much for NBC Universal to stay away. After a year of absence from iTunes, the network brought its content back.

However the Comcast deal means that everything will change and they will be pulling all the strings.

Read More – http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/12/06/comcasts_nbc_deal_could_be_roadblock_for_apples_subscription_hopes.html

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