The summer is usually low on real news in the streaming world whether it be services or hardware, but what is very prevalent is the rumor mill. Rumors are fun for some folks. They generate discussion, provide great clickbait headlines, and more. But most of the time they turn out to have very little merit. There are a number of unsubstantiated narratives and possibilities about the future of streaming right now. Let’s explore some of them and see if there is any evidence that they may be worth paying attention to.
Netflix Buying Roku
This is the latest thing burning through Reddit Forums and Facebook groups. And boy are some people upset. It’s gonna ruin Roku some people say. Netflix will shut down all of Roku’s free channels say others.
Why Do People Think it’s happening?
Because Roku has halted employee trading of stock. Sometimes when a sale in coming a company stops allowing employees to trade their own stock in said company. What people have done was equate the fact that some Roku employees think its going to happen and the trading announcement as the sure sign that it is in fact happening. What they are not doing is considering that there could be many reasons completely unrelated to an impending sale such as Roku working to acquire another entity or even just a way to protect its own stock price during a volatile time.
What is the latest news?
Nothing. We will keep our eyes on it regardless.
Apple Releasing an inexpensive Apple TV
This is so last month right? A writer from Mac Rumors stated that he believed Apple is working on a less expensive version of the Apple TV, which has consistently rested at the higher end of the price scale in the streaming device world. Currently, there are two models, one for $179.00 and one for $199.00. Roku and Amazon sell streaming devices for as little as $24.99 for a Roku Express or $29.99 for the entry-level Fire Stick.
Why Do People Think it’s happening?
Because the writer who proposed the idea via a tweet has correctly surmised things like Apple developing new processors in fact meant that the new chips would be included in upcoming hardware releases and other A to B types of analysis. It ignores the fact that Mac Rumors has also published stories predicting foldable iPhones, Apple-branded TVs, and a bevy of other products that never come to fruition. People also think maybe Apple thinks people are looking for a cheaper Apple TV bc of inflation (which Apple would have had to predict way ahead of time to be in the later stages of development now)
What is the latest news?
Apple’s WWDC was held this week with no announcements about any new Apple TV products.
Microsoft working on game and media streaming dongle
The rumor is that Microsoft is working on developing an inexpensive dongle that would allow players to log into the Microsoft and XBOX accounts in order to access cloud gaming services on TV’s without actually owning one of Microsoft’s high-performance game consoles.
Why do people think it’s happening?
Cloud gaming is something that lots of companies are investing in. There are services such as Steam, Apple Arcade (which is built into Apple devices), Google’s Stadia, and even persistent rumors that Netflix might get into the cloud gaming fray. We gave the story our own take recently.
What is the latest news?
Microsoft has partnered with Samsung to offer cloud gaming through an app on 2022 Samsung smart TV’s. The TVs have a game hub that will house the app. Reviews of gameplay have been positive. It’s possible that the app is a trial balloon of sorts to see if Samsung TV owners respond to the option in a way that shows broad consumer interest in such a product. Stay tuned.
Apple Taking over NFL Sunday Ticket
Someone is going to stream NFL Sunday Ticket likely starting in 2023. Almost everybody is sure of this. Since it launched Sunday Ticket has been the exclusive property of DirecTV, which is shrinking as a service and being seemingly transitioning itself into a streaming service.
Why do people think it’s happening?
Apple has streaming service ambitions. The Apple TV+ streaming service has apps on multiple streaming devices and smart TVs, and the company has invested big money into original content. Apple also began to stream weekly baseball games recently showing that it has an interest in drawing viewers via sports. The NFL typically shares the wealth when it comes to media partners. The League is broadcasted on every major broadcast network and is now streamed on Amazon with Thursday Night Football. The NFL also has had streaming through Yahoo and on Verizon phones. This implies that Apple could certainly be a possibility.
What is the latest news?
Apple held its WWDC this week with no announcement on a partnership with the NFL. At the same time, the NFL recently announced a new streaming service leading to speculation that they may just keep NFL Sunday Ticket in-house.
So those are the latest and greatest rumors in streaming. If you hear about any others let us know and we will follow up and see if there is any fire to go along with the smoke.
