Report : Apple To Delay Its Live TV Service To Next Year As Negotiations Stall

(RTTNews) - Apple Inc. (AAPL) will delay its live TV service to at least next year, as discussions with broadcasters are progressing slowly, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter.

The company wanted to introduce this year a live TV service delivered via the Internet, but is now aiming for 2016. Talks to license programming from TV networks such as those owned by CBS Corp. and 21st Century Fox Inc. are progressing slowly. Apple also doesn't have the computer network capacity in place to ensure a good viewing experience, the report said.

According to the report, Apple has scrapped plans to announce the service at a September 9 event in San Francisco, which would have coincided with the beginning of the new network TV season. The company still plans to introduce a more powerful version of its Apple TV set-top box at the event.

The company reportedly wanted to offer a package of popular channels for $40 a month. That's roughly half of the average cable bill in the U.S.