Apple’s iTV ventures has aroused a lot of speculation from users and investors alike. While Apple hasn’t officially given away much of the details, a number of analysts have presented all the options that Apple may avail in going forward with this venture. Recently, Peter Misek, a Wall Street analyst with Jefferies provided a kind of ‘what is’ analysts for Apple’s iTV ventures. Misek presents the many different options that Apple may avail in getting it’s content for iTV.
The first option, Misek said, could be that Apple partners with existing cable operators and carriers. In this way, Apple brings to iTV all the content that is being provided by other content providers, but at the same time Apple has the advantage of it’s content directly from iTunes. Moreover, Apple can revamp the interface and embed it deep into it’s own ecosystem. This will definitely make Apple’s iTV services far better than the current market competitors. This, according to Misek, is the most likely route that Apple is going to take.
However, he presented the other options that Apple has. One of them is to seed content out, like YouTube does through it’s channels. Apple can fund a number of content producers to produce exclusive content for it’s ‘channels’ and grab the market this way. Given the fact that Apple’s iTunes already has a huge sway in the entertainment industry, Apple can broker a number of very effective deals to make this happen.
Another possibility for Apple is to buy exclusive content, such as Netflix or DirectTV has done. If Apple, with it’s industry clout, is able to seal a few deals on some very lucrative content, Apple’s iTV can cause quite a stir and buzz with the customers. However, exclusive content has the side-effect of more governmental anti-trust concerns and that may stop Apple short from venturing into this option.
Finally, Misek presents the option, and this is the most unlikely one, that Apple can start a studio of it’s own, somewhat along the lines of a Hollywood studio. Yes, Apple has all the money and connections for such a venture. But then that’s risky and reduces Apple’s profit margins, compared to other options.
So, like Misek holds, it does seem like the best path for Apple may be to partner with existing cable operators and carriers and bring an Apple experience through iTV to hook up the customers.
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