Apple in talks with Fox for TV show rentals via iTunes

We currently have the option of renting movies from iTunes but many are hoping for a similar feature for television shows. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is in talks with News Corp for the rights to rent Fox’s line-up of TV shows in iTunes. Sources claim CBS and Walt Disney are in similar, albeit less advanced, discussions.

According to the report, television shows will be available to rent within 24 hours after the air dates for 99 cents, with a time limit of 48 hours to view the content. It is also expected iOS users will be able to download rentals directly on their devices.

This appears to be Apple’s answer to streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu. Now users have the choice of watching ads or paying a small fee per episode to watch in high definition without advertisements.

It is expected this new service will be announced during the rumored September media event in San Francisco alongside an iPod refresh and an improved Apple TV.

Via: Bloomberg

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UPDATE: According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple’s efforts are getting a bit mucked up, thanks to resistance from others:

Apple is nearing an agreement with Walt Disney Co. to offer such rentals for some ABC television shows through its iTunes content store, these people said, but the proposal is facing at least some resistance from big TV companies, including CBS Corp., General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal, News Corp., and Viacom Inc., people briefed on Apple’s proposal said.

Feeling like thse TV execs are being a bit short-sighted here. Instead of clinging to a stale, old-fashioned model that doesn’t work anymore, they can step into the 21st century, forge a new model for modern viewership and make some cash. Or they could be pushed into the modern era by the likes of Bit Torrent, and make nothing. We’ll likely see the outcome of all this next Wednesday, Sept 1, at Apple’s media event. [Via: TUAW]

Next Wednesday’s event is going to prove to be a very interesting one, if all of these rumors come to fruition. Apple has been battling TV companies for this sort of material for a long time now, and they’ve refused to budge. As Philip Elmer-DeWitt remarks, it’s not Jobs that the execs should be worried about, but BitTorrent, and this is a legitimate way to get their shows into peoples hands.