Showtime plans standalone Apple TV channel as Yahoo wins rights to livestream NFL game globally

CBS is expected to officially announce a standalone subscription version of its premium network Showtime on Apple TV “as early as today or Thursday,” according to a report from Variety. The standalone version of Showtime will allow cord-cutters to pay for access to the channel through Apple TV without requiring a cable subscription. The news comes as Yahoo revealed that it will be the first to stream an NFL game globally for free to set-top boxes, mobile apps, and more…

Apple TV currently features a Showtime Anytime channel which allows cable subscribers that pay for packages that include the channel to access on-demand content through the set top box.

The rumored service, however, is expected to use the same model as the recently launched HBO Now. This allows Apple TV owners to subscribe to the premium network for a monthly fee through iTunes, $14.99 in the case of HBO, without the need for cable service.

The report adds that CBS is expected to launch exclusively through Apple at first just as HBO did with its standalone service. Aside from CBS planning to bring a standalone version of Showtime to the Apple TV, the network’s CEO Les Moonves said he expects CBS to participate in Apple’s upcoming web TV service as well.

However, we’re not anticipating an announcement of that service at next week’s Apple keynote at WWDC. A new version of the Apple TV hardware, though, is set to be revealed next week alongside an SDK that will allow developers to create apps for the platform.

In other streaming news, cord-cutters saw another milestone today as Yahoo won the rights to stream an upcoming NFL game around the world for free. Yahoo, which has a channel on Apple TV and mobile apps on the iPhone and iPad, will live stream the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars game. Yahoo is believed to have paid at least $10 million for the rights to stream the football game being played in London on October 25th.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple TV, CBS, HBO Now, NFL, ShowTime

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