Apple reportedly won’t release new TV product this year due to content negotiations

Although rumors of a new Apple TV box have heated up of late, a new report from Bloomberg throws cold water on the possibility. Apparently, though not surprisingly, talks with cable companies have not been going well due to a variety of issues — including whether Apple would have total control over the user interface and the exact structure of what rights deals Apple would need to strike to launch the product. Bloomberg says that the company is focused on creating a product that blends both live and recorded TV and integrates with Apple’s ecosystem of products like the iPhone and iPad.

The consumer payment structure Apple is reportedly pursuing would be a bit more complicated than usual for the company, with customers still needing to pay a monthly cable bill and possibly even leasing Apple’s box from the cable company instead of buying it directly. Apparently negotiations are furthest along with Time Warner Cable, but reportedly Eddy Cue hasn’t been able to push things far enough along to allow Apple to ship a new product this year. If the report bears out, it won’t be shocking to learn that Apple is struggling with securing content deals with cable companies.