Microsoft may have been ridiculed for its frankly baffling emphasis on television during the Xbox One’s reveal back in May, but Sony was never going to let its competitor outright dominate the market that it’s been fighting for ever since the PlayStation 2 included a DVD player. The Wall Street Journal reports that the platform holder is on the cusp of a groundbreaking deal that will see it streaming Viacom channels through an Internet-based TV service on its range of PlayStation platforms, Bravia displays, and more.
While the ink’s not dried yet, the site implies that the signed documents are being hung out as we type. The deal would allow the firm to broadcast content from the likes of MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, and more. Apparently the company is in deep discussions with Disney, Time Warner, and CBS, too. This is all in addition to its own gigantic library of TV shows and films, which would potentially give it an enormous bank of content to play with.
The significance of the deal is potentially massive. It’s not just Microsoft that wants to rule the living room, but Apple, Google, and many more, too. However, content providers have been notoriously difficult for all of these juggernauts to deal with. The implication is that Sony’s just cleared the first hurdle, and that actually puts it a step ahead of the competition for a change. That could prove pivotal in the Japanese giant’s battle for entertainment superiority – and the PS4’s fight against the Xbox One.
And it’s the timing that makes it most exciting. According to the Wall Street Journal, the platform holder is hoping to roll out its online TV service by the end of the year, with the PlayStation brand set to lead the charge. As already alluded, the company hopes to expand onto tablets and smartphones eventually, but it sounds like the PS4 will be spearheading the initiative.
Sony has already reiterated multiple times that it’s still eager to be a player in the entertainment race, even if it's positioned its next generation console as a games machine first and foremost. That’s smart, because it’s the hardcore fans that will drive the penetration of the PS4. If the platform holder can sell the next generation console on the basis of being an awesome gaming device, but still end up penetrating a larger market with broader entertainment options, it may have an even bigger hit than we anticipated on its hands.
[source online.wsj.com, via gizmodo.com]
Comments 36
It will be interesting to see what content will make it to the UK. Gamescom announcements about tv services on the horizon I think.
@chazaroonie This sounds very US centric — it's Sony's play to kill cable companies. In the UK, I expect we'll get all of the catch-up channels currently on the PS3 on the PS4. A better ITV app would be nice, to be honest.
So Just new apps? MTV GameTrailers And VH1 Cool
Geez, it's like Microsoft COMPLETELY forgot about that huge division of Sony that's been around for many years: Sony Pictures Entertainment.
No matter what, Microsoft is automatically playing "catch-up" with Sony in the TV/Movies department. I'm sorry, but a Halo TV series and dumping millions into NFL isn't going to be enough to even really compete against what Sony already has.
@Z9DaftRadio No, Internet-based TV programming - like cable, without a cable box.
@get2sammyb O ok so This will be for PlaystationTv?
@Grockumus Exactly! Sony has a boatload of content under its belt, from adult movies like Olympus has Fallen (must resist urge to make a Kratos joke) to family movies like Hotel Transylvania and everything in between.
I'm really excited about this deal because Viacom owns Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, VH1 and the aforementioned Comedy Central which are frequently watched channels in my house; and now I don't have to find ways to watch them on Netflix since I'm through getting ripped off by Comcast and (to a lesser extent) DirecTV.
I really hope this can go through! Then we can drop cable in our house!
Does anyone know about local channels though? And the sports networks? Who are they owned by?
As long as the PS platform is first and foremost a gaming machine I am all for them adding content that enhances the application of the console.
@-CraZed- Yeah Me Too
disney owns espn, and all the other major networks have there sports network. this has the potential to be huge, but they need more than just viacom.
@get2sammyb That's all well and good to try and oust the cable companies here in the U.S.; unfortunately, the cable companies provide the internet access we would use to watch PlayStation TV. Lately they have been capping everyone's internet usage here to regain the lost revenue from people canceling their cable and replacing it with Netflix/ hulu/amazon prime etc.
Viacom owns
MTV Films
Nickelodeon Movies
Paramount Animation
Paramount Pictures
Viacom International
BET
CMT
Comedy Central
Logo
MTV
MTV2
Nick at Nite
Nick Jr.
Nickelodeon
Nicktoons
Palladia
Spike
TeenNick
Tr3s
TV Land
VH1
GameTrailers
Neopets
MTV New Media
huh i never knew that Viacom actually owned GTTV.....btw which also streams EVERYTHING from E3......so that would be awesome for next year to have GTTV on our PS4.
@-CraZed- 100% agreed. Id love to not have a cable tv bill and just pay for net. It'd completely pay for itself many times over with a ps + account.
I cannot express how happy I am to see sony on the ball again. I haven't seen them like this since the ps and ps2 days.
@lvnlavitaloca our net is unlimited and at 15mbps, $30 a month and locked into that price for two years at Charter cable. Digital cable price on the other hand is over priced. With that included we pay around $137/montly
Mine is 15mbps through Armstrong, they recently capped us at $150 GB, you can exceed this, but then you pay overage.
@lvnlavitaloca thats a rip off. Reminds me of Verizons phone service. And canceling cable for amazon, hulu and netflix is a great idea. We've got our digital cable set to turn off at the end of the month. Weve done the same thing and picked up one of those self tuning Rca antennas for like 20 bucks. Channels are clear as cable tv.
@Subie98 Verizon, lol! Did you look at my profile? I cancelled my cable June of 2010 and don't miss it. I bought a Roku box after I ran a ps3 to the yellow light of death one summer though.
That would be awesome if Sony would bring their 2gb FiOS stateside.
@lvnlavitaloca nah to be honest ive not looked at anyonea profile. Roku boxes are pretty sweet. Completely forgot about those.
I work for Verizon. That's why I thought that was funny.
Ah. I like my unlimited sprint plan!
@Subie98 lol! I here ya!
@-CraZed- Agreed! I want an awesome video game system...but moar services is moar better, as long as it doesn't distract from the gaming experience, so bring it on, please!
Holy Crap if they're talking about actually broadcasting channels that will be huge. And if they get Disney on board with providing ESPN, it could honestly be a cable killer. This is very exciting, bc cable's stranglehold on content has been mind-boggling for quite some time in this Internet age.
What are the chances it's included with PS+ ? what great value that would be.
It just amazes me how Sony has picked Microsoft apart at almost every turn. After E3 Sony for the most part has been mum, but the way Microsoft has gone about changing policies and features to even the playing field, you would think Sony has been on the offensive. Now with this new development of Sony's TV service which to me at least sounds more promising than what the competition is offering, Xbox One has lost their main selling point because the truth is they really can't compete with Sony in this category as they have been a juggernaut on the entertainment scene for years.
The only advantage Xbox One has in this area is the motion controls with the Kinect, but they just rcently announced that it is no longer required for Xbox one to function. Which makes the extra $100 cost of the console unnecessary for most people. Now as we roll into Gamescom Microsoft is in a very similar situation as they were going into E3, needing to explain they're actions ( which they completely ignored btw ) While Sony on the other hand is free to just drop bombs.
What will be interesting to see at Gamescom, is if Sony will take another jab at Microsofts policy changes similar to how they did at E3 to twist the Knife even further. It may sound a bit like bullying but Microsoft has made it so easy it may be hard to resist.
@lvnlavitaloca Yeah, I get the impression that that's one of the reasons why this is a potentially huge deal. We'll see where it goes.
@Squiggle55 Very, very, very unlikely you'd get it with PS Plus in my opinion.
@-CraZed- Absolutely. I've always thought this about the Xbox One, too - they just presented it all wrong. I used my PS3 for way more than just games, and I don't want that to stop - it just so happens that the games are the bit I'm most interested in. Sony clearly understands that because it's focused on games pretty much 100 per cent thus far - but it's clear that the PS4 is going to do more than that.
@get2sammyb the ITV app is crap on everything, not just the Vita. Terribly designed everywhere. Then again, what does ITV actually have to watch other than Jeremy Kyle pretending he's the second coming?
Any news on Netflix for Vita at all?
@rastamadeus Emmerdale...
@get2sammyb oul Kain Dingle up to no good as usual no doubt!
So apparently this a both a "done" and "big" deal. At least as far as US media is concerned.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100967342
The article didn't mention it but I think this is tv's way of avoiding Apple. Tv doesn't want to become the next music industry. Just my 2 cents.
For those talking about having to stick w/ your cable company to get broadband even without tv channels, my cable tv provider is already thinking along those lines:
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/james-dolan-cablevision-could-eventually-stop-offering-tv-service.html/?a=viewall
Yeah just what I wanted MTV on my Playstation...lol Viacom is pretty anal with their content so I am surprised they are making a deal with Sony.
What I really need is for them to announce a deal with disney and then tell me about prices. If we're talking cable prices then we've gained nothing. If they offer me Viacom and Disney (espn) for 20 or 25 bucks a month, then that is amazing. If they offer me lots of bundle options, viacom for 15 dollars, disney for 15 dollars, then that's amazing. I'm really hoping for a shakeup.
@rjejr its crazy when you think about it. Who'd have ever thought we'd get to the point where tv services arent offered through companies like that anymore? Sometimes its shocking how internet dependent our society is
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