Jordan O'BrienCable cutters rejoice – Google is reportedly working on a new web TV service that will be hosted on YouTube, and according to the Wall Street Journal, it’s getting closer to launch.
Dubbed ‘Unplugged’, the Google web TV service will reportedly house live streaming TV for a fraction of the price cable subscribers currently pay in the US to access the same content.
Like Apple however, which is also reportedly working on a similar offering, Google is having to negotiate with TV networks to entice them into joining the service. Apple has struggled to win over the major networks as of yet, but it seems Google isn’t having such bad luck – with the WSJ claiming that CBS has agreed a deal with the search engine giant.
CBS is one of the largest television networks in the US, offering a range of TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory, NCIS and CSI. Despite the agreement however, Google is reportedly still missing the other major networks – but is reportedly near a deal with 21st Century Fox, while talks with NBCUniversal and Walt Disney are said to be at an advanced stage.
Google is not alone in the web TV streaming revolution – Sony offers PlayStation Vue to its console owners, while in the US Dish Network has Sling TV. Google’s service will have the power of YouTube behind it however – although people familiar with the plans say that it unlikely to be included as part of a YouTube Red subscription.
Google is supposedly planning a 2017 launch for its Unplugged service, with it thought that when it launches users will have to pay around $25 to $40 a month to gain access to a bundle of live TV channels.