According to reports from Bloomberg, Apple is close to reaching a deal with Time Warner to offer TV shows on Apple TV, while also apparently recruiting Hulu exec Pete Distad to lead negotiations for content:
Distad is currently SVP of Marketing and Distribution at Hulu and in charge of content distribution and customer acquisition/retention on the company’s management team. According to his bio Distad’s current duties at Hulu include “subscriber acquisition and retention, paid, on-channel, and brand marketing, distribution and promotional partnerships, and content marketing.”
Earlier this month Apple added Time Warner’s HBO GO, as well as WatchESPN, Sky News and more to its existing Apple TV service, but reports over the last year surrounding a much-anticipated revamped Apple TV claimed Apple was hitting various roadblocks with cable companies. Apple is rumored to launch a revamped Apple TV service that could include an SDK for bringing iOS apps to the bigger screen, and some analysts still expect the company to launch a full fledged TV set late this year or early next. While Apple hasn’t said much about its TV plans, we already know that it has some new features planned for Apple TV this fall including new Mavericks display integration and iTunes Radio.
Another report today claims Apple could be looking to hire Paul Deneve of French fashion label Saint Laurent and possibly to assist with retail and the launch of the rumored iWatch. We’ll have to see if this one pans out, as it comes to us from Dan Dilger of AppleInsider who also claimed Tim Cook visited Valve.
