Sony may be attempting to launch its own Internet-based cable TV service, if a new article at the Wall Street Journal is to be believed. The article, which cites unnamed sources, claims that Sony has been in talks with several broadcast and cable TV networks, including NBCUniversal, Discovery Communications, and News Corp. So far Sony has not officially confirmed or denied this report.
Details are currently scarce but the report claims that Sony"s plan is to over access to a number of TV channels to its TVs with Internet connections, along with its Blu-Ray players and its Playstation 3 console. One source claims that Sony might sign up smaller cable TV channels for its Internet service that sometimes have trouble getting access to the larger cable TV and satellite operators.
The plan sounds similar to what Microsoft plans to launch later this year with its Xbox 360 console offering live TV from a number of cable outlets. One big advantage Sony has over Microsoft is that it already owns the rights to a number of movies and TV shows through its various Hollywood studio subsidiaries. That automatically gives Sony a lot of content to draw upon if it were to go ahead with these kinds of plans. Sony already sells downloadable movies and TV show episodes on the Playstation 3 via the Playstation Network.
With Microsoft already planning its own Xbox 360 live TV service and Google"s YouTube launching its own Internet video network with lots of new original content, its more than possible that Sony wants a piece of that Internet TV show pie.