Apple snubs NBC for upcoming TV streaming service

In the past few weeks, rumours have been floating around that an Apple-branded streaming television service would launch this year, with 25 channels for $30-$40, with key partners such as CBS, ABC and Fox.

New information has come to light, indicating NBC and Comcast, NBC's parent company, will not be one of Apple's content partners.

According to a report from Re/code, Apple has not approached Comcast about a partnership.

Previous reports about Apple's streaming service neglected to include NBC in mentions of partners, and indicated this was due to a falling out between Apple and Comcast.

Last week Comcast sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, and said Apple hadn't even approached NBC for a content deal.

The letter was a response a filing from Stop Mega Comcast, a group that's opposed to a Comcast-Time Warner merging.

Stop Mega Comcast's note, filed on Wednesday, says, "Comcast may be withholding affiliated NBCUniversal ("NBCU") content in an effort to thwart the entry of potential new video competitors."

The note referred to a recent Wall Street Journal report that says Apple wasn't talking to NBCUniversal because of a "falling-out between Apple and NBCUniversal parent company Comcast".

However, Comcast attorney Francis Buono wrote to the FCC, "Not only has NBCUniversal not 'withheld' programming from Apple's new venture, Apple has not even approached NBCUniversal with such a request.

It's unclear why Apple hasn't approached NBC about a potential content deal, and the company could still approach Comcast to sign a content streaming deal before its service launches.

According to the latest rumours, the launch will take place at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference in June.