Apple TV Release Delayed To 2015 Due To Negotiation Issues With Cable And Content Providers

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expected to unveil a number of new and updated products this fall, including the iPhone 6, the iWatch and other hardware. But among the deluge of products coming this fall, a new Apple TV won’t be one of them.

According to a report from the Information on Wednesday, the Apple TV is unlikely to make an appearance until at least 2015 due to reluctant content and cable partners. “Apple employees have cited cable companies ‘dragging their heels’ and the pending Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger as reasons the device and accompanying TV service haven’t launched,” the Information reported.

But on the other side, unnamed sources in the cable and television industry merely suggest that Apple has “bit off more than it can chew,” while denying that the industry was the culprit behind the delays.

A redesigned Apple TV has been rumored since last year, when the Cupertino, California, tech titan was in talks with major television channels and networks to bring their content to the streaming set-top box.

With early success adding HBO Go, WatchESPN and a number of other content providers, it initially looked like Apple was positioning the Apple TV as a video content subscription service aimed at cord cutters, or families and individuals that go without a cable television subscription in favor of online content.

Despite the number of content apps that now reside on the Apple TV, that didn’t come to pass. Instead rumors in February pointed to a much different narrative, with Apple backing away from its ambitious plan in favor of developing a set-top box that interfaced with cable and content providers such as Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC).

In addition to its television content features, rumors indicate that Apple may add additional support for apps and games with this revision of the Apple TV, as competitors such as the Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) Fire TV expand into the media center market.

A research note released by KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously indicated a possibility of a late 2014 release of an updated Apple TV, but with the rumored stalled negotiations, it’s unlikely that we’ll see a new Apple TV product until next year.