New York -- Amazon.com has discussed starting a broadband subscription television service with programme owners, aiming to wade into the burgeoning online TV business occupied by Netflix and Hulu, people familiar with the matter said.
The talks are at an early stage and no timeframe or pricing has been finalised, these people said.
Amazon has approached Viacom, owner of MTV Networks; Time Warner, whose Warner Bros studios is among the largest programme producers in Hollywood; and NBC Universal, people familiar with the talks said.
The US television business has emerged as the next big battleground in digital media, where Apple and Netflix have aggressively courted pay TV and free-to-air programme owners for shows to rent or offered as on a subscription basis.
The web's largest retailer, which already sells films and TV shows on DVDs and operates one of the biggest online film and TV sales businesses outside of Apple, is hoping to blunt the impact of fast-rising Netflix, which has quickly built a popular subscription online video service off the back of its DVD rentals business.
CNN
