Apple's upcoming TV subscription service will launch without NBC after feud with Comcast

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Apple TV Tim Cook

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The negotiations Apple is engaged in with TV networks to launch its own subscription service this fall involves several players, including heavy-hitters like CBS, ABC and Fox.

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But, the talks seem to be missing one key player - NBC. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday night that NBCUniversal is not involved in the negotiations at the moment, and that it's likely because Apple and Comcast, NBC's parent company, are not exactly on speaking terms.

From the Journal:

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Apple and Comcast were in talks as recently as last year about working together on a streaming television platform that would combine Apple's expertise in user interfaces with Comcast's strength in broadband delivery. Apple came to believe that Comcast was stringing it along while the cable giant focused on its own X1 Web-enabled set-top box.

Since the negotiations appear to be ongoing, there might be plenty of time for the parties to reengage. Without Comcast on board, Apple could potentially miss out on some pretty major cable nets that NBCUniversal owns, like USA Network and Bravo.

At the end of 2014, USA held on to its No. 1 overall rating among cable networks, a distinction the outlet has maintained for several years now.

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Without Comcast on board, the bigger loss for Apple would be NBC's huge sports portfolio, including the Olympics, for which the International Olympic Committee granted NBCUniversal broadcast rights through 2032.

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