Reports that Apple (AAPL -0.35%) and Comcast (CMCSA 1.85%) are talking about creating a custom, Apple TV-delivered service that includes not only live TV but other top of the line Comcast programming had the Internet abuzz last week. Should investors care about the chatter?
Host Ellen Bowman puts the question to analysts Nathan Alderman and Tim Beyers in this week's episode of 1-Up On Wall Street, The Motley Fool's web show in which we talk about the big-money names behind your favorite movies, toys, video games, comics, and more.
According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, the deal would create a custom streaming TV service delivered via Comcast's network and Apple TV. Streams -- including live broadcasts -- would essentially bypass the general Internet and find their way to viewers via a specially designed Apple set-top box.
Nathan says the deal can work if Comcast allows Apple to be the front man, dealing with customers and handling the user experience. Areas the company knows extremely well from years of simplifying once-complex technology systems, such as smartphones.
Tim agrees, but notes that Comcast isn't well-known for giving up control of anything. To the contrary; Comcast has spent billions on big-ticket acquisitions such as NBCUniversal to consolidate control over the extended areas of its business. An in-process deal for Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) only promises to tighten the cable giant's grip.
There's no reason to believe CEO Brian Roberts would offer the sorts of concessions Apple CEO Tim Cook would demand in order to get a deal done, especially when you consider the Mac maker's limited experience in the television business, Tim says.
Now it's your turn to weigh in using the comments box below. Would you like to see Apple and Comcast team-up for better TV? Why or why not? Please watch the video as Ellen puts Tim and Nathan on the spot, and be sure to check back here often for more 1-Up On Wall Street segments.
