Introduction: The WSJ and NY Times reported that Google wants to offer live TV channels as well as pre-recorded TV shows (On Demand) using the public Internet. The two newspapers indicated that the service would share a closer resemblance to cable TV than to streaming services like Hulu or Netfix, allowing customers to select channels online in real time, just as they do on cable, satellite or telco TV. The move would be a potential boon to the company’s struggling Google TV service. Intel, Apple, and SONY are reported to be working on similar services. Analysis: The problem for those and any other new broadband TV provider will be in securing reasonable, nonrestrictive licensing deals from media companies that own the video content. Many analysts believe those companies (Time Warner, Disney (which owns ESPN and ABC), Fox, CBS, NBC/Comcast, Viacom, etc) are more likely to help out legacy program distributors (cable, satellite, telco TV providers) rather than broadband Internet newcomers. Another question is whether both popular and unpopular channels will be bundled into various packages offered to consumers. Bloomberg’s Kirsten Salyer asks “Can Google’s Online TV Kill Cable?“ Perhaps, but not right away she says: “Can Google and others compete against the [...]
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