CNETAnalysis: Looks like Apple may be about to nab an exclusive film streaming deal for its upcoming Apple iTV television from the incumbent Netflix. It’s not really a shocker that Apple is in talks with a company co-owned by three major film studios over exclusive streaming rights to some film and TV content. An anonymous tipster told Reuters that the cash-rich electronics company is negotiating a deal with Epix, a company backed by Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount pictures with rights to films like The Lincoln Lawyer and Rango. The metaphor broke my spleen Apparently any streaming deal reached would include both the existing Apple TV box and the upcoming Apple television set which is yet to be announced but has been the subject of many a fevered rumour. One potential spanner in Apple’s exclusive streaming works could be Epix’s longstanding agreement with Netflix , although this deal is up for renewal this September. Apple usually announces its iPod refreshes in September, but after mixing it up with an iPhone launch in October last year, it’s really all to play for so we could imagine an Apple iTV launch date of September (or an earlier release with content added throughout the rest of the year). At its launch in the UK, Netflix has pushed itself as a service that is complimentary to Apple TV, but if Apple launches itself squarely into Netflix’s bread and butter streaming rental market, we can imagine this might not be the case for long. Of more concern to the film-streaming masses is the impact that yet another service will have on their service choices – if everyone has exclusive deals tied up with every studio, there isn’t going to be a catch-all service to suit everyone . Well, except illegal torrents, that is. They’ve got everything.
