Apple prepares to sign Disney and CBS to stream shows over the Internet (Tablet in March)

It looks like AppleTV might soon (within a year) have a purpose.  That Apple TV subscription service we heard about earlier this year looks like it may soon have two signups....and they are HUGE.

According to the Wall (Street Journal)...

CBS Corp. and Walt Disney Co. are considering participating in Apple Inc.'s plan to offer television subscriptions over the Internet, according to people familiar with the matter, as Apple prepares a potential new competitor to cable and satellite TV.

Boom!  Certainly Jobs' position on Disney's Board is helping to move Disney (ABC) to Apple's platform.  Wouldn't it be interesting if that his personal sale of Pixar to Disney was what gave Apple its chance as a Internet Network?  

The WSJ mentions that CBS doesn't have an interest in Hulu (like the other 3 majors) and also doesn't have a big stake in cable networks so they'd be a natural choice as well.

As always, the devil is in the details:

In at least some versions of the proposal, Apple would pay media companies about $2 to $4 a month per subscriber for a broadcast network like CBS or ABC, and about $1 to $2 a month per subscriber for a basic-cable network, people familiar with the proposals said. Those amounts are in some cases much higher than media companies receive from traditional distributors. The question is whether selling fewer networks at higher prices is better business. Apple's TV proposal may be changing as the company woos networks, according to people familiar with the matter. An initial version of the proposal had envisioned selling access to advertising-free shows from a bundle of top cable and broadcast networks—the "best of television"—with a consumer price tag of $30 a month, according to people familiar with the talks.

With Comcast's recent purchase of NBC, this would be a huge blow to the cable networks -- being bypassed by Apple over the Net.  Would the networks be willing to give up all of the advertising from cable networks?  Maybe Apple goes directly to the studios that produce the TV Shows and bypasses the Networks and the Cable companies?   All interesting scenarios.

Oh, and they also mention a Tablet:

Apple is revamping iTunes as it finalizes its plans for a tablet device, which is meant to be a multimedia gadget, according to people briefed about the product. The multimedia tablet is expected to be larger than an iPhone but smaller than a laptop computer. People briefed by Apple say the company is aiming to launch it by the end of March.

It looks like we might have an exciting Spring in store...