A skinny bundle would include a subset of the channels US customers currently have to subscribe to, at much lower monthly fees.
Apple was looking to launch a similar service in the $30/month range, but struggled to strike deals with cable networks. Content providers did not want to abandon most of its ‘portfolio’, instead asking Apple to charge more for the monthly service in exchange for including additional channels. Apple didn’t budge.
Apple integrates media apps from various partners into a TV app for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV but again the aggregation is only skin-deep. Users still have to subscribe separately and actually watching content kicks users out to the respective cable network app.
Whilst Apple has entered successfully into the media subscription space with Apple Music, an Apple video subscription service with content from cable networks does not seem anywhere close to being a reality. Apple is focusing on original content efforts, with the first shows launching as soon as 2019.
