Time Warner Cable in Talks with Apple on Streaming Video Deals

According to Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt, who spoke to investors at the Bank of America Merill Lynch Global Telecom and Media Conference today (via FierceCable), Time Warner is in talks with Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung over potential streaming video deals that are similar to its existing partnership with Roku.

Time Warner Cable brought its authenticated cable service, TWC TV, to Roku in March. With the app, Time Warner Cable subscribers are able to watch up to 300 live TV channels with any TV connected to a Roku device, without the need for a cable box. Time Warner has a similar deal with Samsung to deliver cable programming to its connected TVs.

apple_tv_interface_2012

"You should assume we're talking to everyone who makes devices like this, whether it's Samsung smart TVs, Apple, Microsoft," Britt said at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Telecom and Media conference. Britt's remarks suggest Time Warner Cable may eventually offer the TWC TV app through the Apple TV set-top and Microsoft's new Xbox One gaming console, which will debut later this year.

Apple recently struck a deal with the CW network to bring content to the Apple TV through a dedicated CW app, and it appears that Apple is open to other deals that could potentially bring the TWC TV to the Apple TV. Presumably, such an app would function similarly to the version offered via Roku, allowing Time Warner Cable subscribers to use the Apple TV to stream live television channels.

Britt's comments confirm a Wall Street Journal report from last year, which suggested that Apple was working on deals to create a set-top box that would allow user to view live cable channels.

Such deals with cable companies are necessary if Apple wants to expand its product lineup with additional TV-centric products like the "iTV," which has been rumored to be in the works since 2011. At the D11 conference last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook reiterated that television continues to be an "area of great interest" for the company.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

samcraig Avatar
166 months ago
[url=https://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image (https://www.geekwebguides.com/2013/06/04/time-warner-cable-in-talks-with-apple-on-streaming-video-deals/)[/url]


According to Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt, who spoke to investors at the Bank of America Merill Lynch Global Telecom and Media Conference today (via FierceCable (http://www.fiercecable.com/story/britt-time-warner-cable-talking-apple-microsoft-samsung-about-streaming-vid/2013-06-04)), Time Warner is in talks with Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung over potential streaming video deals that are similar to its existing partnership with Roku.

Time Warner Cable brought (http://blog.roku.com/blog/2013/03/05/twc-tv-launches-on-roku/) its authenticated cable service, TWC TV (http://www.timewarnercable.com/en/residential-home/tv/features/twc-tv.html), to Roku in March. With the app, Time Warner Cable subscribers are able to watch up to 300 live TV channels with any TV connected to a Roku device, without the need for a cable box. Time Warner has a similar deal with Samsung to deliver cable programming to its connected TVs.

Image (https://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2013/03/apple_tv_interface_2012.jpg)Apple recently struck a deal (https://www.geekwebguides.com/2013/05/16/cw-strikes-deal-with-apple-to-bring-content-to-apple-tv/) with the CW network to bring content to the Apple TV through a dedicated CW app, and it appears that Apple is open to other deals that could potentially bring the TWC TV to the Apple TV. Presumably, such an app would function similarly to the version offered via Roku, allowing Time Warner Cable subscribers to use the Apple TV to stream live television channels.

Britt's comments confirm a Wall Street Journal report (https://www.geekwebguides.com/2012/08/15/apple-in-talks-to-build-set-top-box-to-display-live-television/) from last year, which suggested that Apple was working on deals to create a set-top box that would allow user to view live cable channels.

Such deals with cable companies are necessary if Apple wants to expand its product lineup with additional TV-centric products like the "iTV," which has been rumored (https://www.geekwebguides.com/2011/10/21/steve-jobs-on-an-apple-television-set-i-finally-cracked-it/) to be in the works since 2011. At the D11 conference last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook reiterated (https://www.geekwebguides.com/2013/05/28/tim-cook-at-d11-apple-television-there-is-a-grand-vision/) that television continues to be an "area of great interest" for the company.

Article Link: Time Warner Cable in Talks with Apple on Streaming Video Deals (https://www.geekwebguides.com/2013/06/04/time-warner-cable-in-talks-with-apple-on-streaming-video-deals/)

Fantastic headline. I'm sure it will get lots of clicks. As the quote says - one should assume (and don't we already anyway) that if TWC is talking about streaming services - they are talking to the likes of Microsoft, Samsung, Apple, etc

Also - the press should stop referring to it as iTV.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
barkomatic Avatar
166 months ago
Ok, so what am I missing? It seems like the only benefit to the TWC app is that you can avoid renting an additional set top box if you've got an Apple TV to stream from right? Otherwise, you have to be a TWC subscriber already and probably can't use the app on an iPad outside of your home wifi network. Snooze.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
166 months ago

Such deals with cable companies are necessary if Apple wants to expand its product lineup with additional TV-centric products like the "iTV,"

:rolleyes:

In case no-one has said this before :rolleyes:, it won't be called that.

And people will keep saying this every time those three letters are used together in every article about Apple and television. I'm boring myself even typing this.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
basesloaded190 Avatar
166 months ago
Not sure what the point of this would be if you still need to sign up for the same cable package. If they offered a streaming only package for cheaper, then you have something.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mic j Avatar
166 months ago
Where would iTunes be today if you had to buy the cd before you could download the music to listen to?

If these are the type deals Apple is spending it's time negotiating, they need to get a clue! Wow...I get to eliminate a cable box!! :rolleyes:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
charlituna Avatar
166 months ago
I'm glad Apple is catching up with Roku's concepts

Allegedly.

For all we know, Time Warner came to the table and said "hey we'll be happy to let you add our Time Warner TV to your service." and Apple countered. "No thanks, we want you let folks subscribe directly to HBO and such via the existing apps. Without needing cable. Oh and stop making folks wait for a zillion months to get legal downloads for Warners stuff."
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)