The redesign of Apple TV has sparked speculations that the tech giant would buy a studio or launch a streaming TV business. The company's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue shared his thoughts on the future of the program.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cue revealed that Apple TV is a way to make it easier for customers to get content from Hollywood. When asked whether the device will replace the cable box, he gave a vague answer.
"It's a lot better box than a cable box," he said. "It gives content providers the ability to do things that are interactive, which they've never had. Now, whether it replaces the cable box or not - who knows?"
According to Cue, Apple TV is a platform that will allow anyone to bring their content to consumers. Apparently, the company may be aiming to provide smart suggestions to television.
"And channel guides - I get home and I want to watch a Duke basketball game; why do I have to go hunting to find out what channel it's on?" he added. "Why can't I just say, "I want to watch Duke basketball." Or, even better, why doesn't the system know that? "Here's the Duke basketball game." Those technical capabilities exist today. They just don't exist for television."
Recode noted that Cue's statements about the skinny bundle of TV channels are vastly different from what Apple TV is trying to do. It seems that the company may be focusing on their apps but could be offering a skinny bundle in the future.
The Apple executive also admitted that he does not feel that the company will be buying a Hollywood studio any time soon.
"We're always looking at things that come to us that make us better at things that we want to do or are doing," Cue revealed. "It's not that we'll never do anything, but I'm not sure why [we should] buy a studio. We like the fact that we're working with all the studios."
