Amazon is looking into the possibility of providing a full online TV service, complete with live channels, according to a recent report.
While the company is already pursuing a number of streaming video services, this would be an altogether more ambitious offering aimed at providing an alternative to existing TV and satellite services.
The Wall Street Journal claims that Amazon has approached at least three major media companies in a bid to acquire the rights to broadcast their TV productions online.
Of course, Amazon wouldn’t be the first - nor even the biggest - company to attempt to close such deals. The likes of Google and Sony are said to be pursuing similar services, but with the TV entertainment industry in relatively rude health those aforementioned media companies are in a position of strength in any negotiations.
Amazon clearly has designs on the entertainments space, having already launched its own original content through Amazon Studios TV. It’s also widely rumoured to have produced a set-top-box in the Roku and Apple TV mould, which could be launched this year.
If the company could offer a live TV stream service over such a device, it would suddenly become a prime cheap alternative to existing offerings from the likes of Sky, Virgin, and BT.
What’s more, Amazon is said to be in an advantageous position in any negotiations, as it already has relationships with a number of TV studios and networks.
Interestingly, though, after initially refusing to comment on the issue, Amazon provided the following statement to WSJ:
"We continue to build selection for Prime Instant Video and create original shows at Amazon Studios, but we are not planning to license television channels or offer a pay-TV service."
It’s rare to get such an explicit denial from a tech company. Is Amazon telling porkies, or is its live TV service going to take a different form to the one suggested in the report?
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