Sony may soon find itself competing with Foxtel if a radical plan to launch an Internet based TV service is adapted in Australia.
The Wall Street Journal claims that the struggling Japanese TV Company is considering launching an Internet-based alternative to subscription TV providers like Foxtel, Fetch TV and Telstra’s Touch Box service.
In the US where the first trial is tipped to take place Sony has approached several big media companies to negotiate the rights to offer their TV channels over the Web sources said.
In Australia Sony is already offering movie and TV content on their Bravia TV’s Blu-ray players and PS3 gaming consoles.
Now they are proposing to beam the new TV channels over Internet connections to Sony-made devices.
Among the companies Sony has approached are NBC Universal, Discovery Communications, and News Corp all suppliers of content to Foxtel.
The WSJ said that Sony is one of a number of companies that has contemplated offering consumers access to a package of TV channels over the Internet. While these services could offer traditional TV channels, they could also integrate more Web-like user interfaces and blend in Internet content into their offering.
In Australia both Samsung and LG are lining up content for Internet connected TV’s with both vendors tipped to launch new Smart TV’s with processors at the 2012 CES Show in Las Vegas in January.
While Sony owns a movie and TV studio, it doesn’t own any TV channels in Australia with most channels set to resist any move by Sony who is also looking to strip advertising revenue away from local TV operators.
