Appleannounced on Tuesday that it will upgrade its Apple TV set-top streaming device to support 4K and HDR video, and the tech giant has deals in place with nearly every major Hollywood studio to sell their movies in higher resolution.
However, there could be one major exception: Walt Disney has reportedly yet to sign on.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported that Disney is the “lone holdout” among Hollywood’s biggest studios when it comes to reaching an agreement to sell 4K movies at $19.99 each through Apple’s iTunes store for the new Apple TV 4K. During Apple’s much-hyped product launch event on Tuesday, Apple executive Eddy Cue cited deals with several major studios while standing in front of a screen featuring logos for the majority of Hollywood’s biggest players, including Time Warner’s Warner Bros. And Comcast’s Universal Pictures, among others—but, not Disney. (Cue also noted that Apple has a deal in place for 4K video from Netflix, while Amazon’s Prime Video content will also be coming to the Apple TV “later this year.”)
Coins2Day contacted Apple and Disney for comment and we will update this article with any response.
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Disney’s reported absence from Apple’s list of Hollywood pacts is especially interesting due to the fact that Disney CEO Bob Iger sits on Apple’s board of directors, and the executive was even spotted in the audience at Tuesday’s big Apple event. Apple’s Cue also gave Disney-owned ESPN a big shoutout during his presentation, highlighting the network while discussing the addition of live sports to the Apple TV 4K. Disney is also planning to launch two standalone streaming services—one for ESPN and another featuring Disney movies, including its Marvel and Star Wars franchises—over the next couple of years.
Considering the two companies’ typically close relationship, it would be unsurprising if a deal on streaming 4K movies is eventually reached, though WSJ notes that pricing could be the obstacle. While Apple has plans to sell the higher-definition 4K movies for $19.99 apiece, Disney already sells its movies in the 4K format for a few dollars more on other services, such as Walmart’s Vudu.