Apple TV took an early hit when Fox and Universal’s movies weren’t available for streaming from the iCloud. The two studios have pre-existing agreements with HBO that protected an exclusive window for the cable channel.
“Fortunately, the cable channel is already entering into negotiations with the studios to relax that rule for people who have already bought their movies — having already done so for stablemate Warner Bros. A settlement is expected to be forthcoming in the next few weeks,” Engadget reports.
“HBO isn’t planning to give up its exclusive windows, for which it pays hundreds of millions of dollars a year, and which allow it to beam movies to its online service HBO Go as well as to its traditional TV channels,” notes the Wall Street Journal in a related report. “But HBO is relaxing terms to let users of iCloud and other services send movies they already own to other devices during those windows, an HBO spokesman said.”
“The issue highlights how behind-the-scenes conflicts between the digital and traditional media worlds affect consumers, often without their knowledge,” adds WSJ. “For years, online retailers have offered some newer movies for sale or rental, only to have those offers disappear again within a few months.”
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