Apple is negotiating to add the Viacom and Discovery families of networks to its growing Apple TV subscription service, The Wall Street Journal reports. Adding any of Viacom’s MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon networks or Discovery’s Animal Planet, TLC and Discovery Channel would go a long way toward turning Apple’s TV package into one of the more robust alternatives to standard cable and could help justify a price tag that’s been estimated between $25 to $40.
Major networks ABC, CBS and Fox are also in talks to anchor the subscription service, allowing Apple to undercut other discounted bundles like Dish Network’s $20 a month streaming service, which includes popular cable channels but no networks. NBC is still working on a dedicated app for Apple TV after being shut out of negotiations for inclusion in Apple’s subscription service, but that app will require a cable subscription to function.
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