Report: New Apple TV Delayed Due to Stalled Content Deals

Report: New Apple TV Delayed Due to Stalled Content Deals

The much-rumored new Apple TV has yet to show its face on the shelves of your local Apple Store, and a new report from The Information claims you won’t be seeing it there until 2015.

Apple TV

MacRumors:

A source that spoke to The Information has suggested that Apple engineers who are working on the device have been informed that the product will not launch in 2014, largely due to ongoing contractual issues with cable companies and Comcast’s pending purchase of Time Warner Cable.

The report says Apple engineers working on the project have been told by their bosses not to expect a launch this year, and are now working toward a 2015 launch timeframe. Apple employees point toward cable companies as dragging their heels, and also point to the Comcast/Time Warner Cable merger as delaying the debut of the new Apple TV.

The Information notes that sources in the television industry deny that cable companies are the cause of the delay, instead pointing to Apple as the culprit, saying the company has “bit off more than it can chew,” and still can’t get the deals done with numerous content rights holders to create the service it is looking to offer with the new set-top box.

Rumors back in February suggested Apple is looking to offer content from cable companies along with streaming offerings and DVR capabilities, all presented via an Apple-created interface.