Apple is said to have been toying with the idea of launching a TV and streaming service for years and new reports suggest it could finally launch as early as this summer . Unnamed sources told The Wall Street Journal that the tech giant plans to launch a 25-channel service that will be streamed to Apple TV , iPhones , iPads and other iOS devices . Rumours suggest it will cost up to $ 40 a month making it more like an online cable service than a Netflix rival . Unnamed sources have told The Wall Street Journal that the tech giant plans to launch a 25-channel service that will be streamed to iOS devices . Rumours suggest it will cost up to $ 40 ( £27 ) a month . The news follows Apple 's partnership with HBO for HBO Now ( pictured ) , announced at its Watch event earlier this month . Channels are expected to include CBS , ESPN and FX , but it will strip out some of the smaller channels that come packaged on cable services . It is also expected to only be available in the US , although this has n't been confirmed . The news follows Apple 's partnership with HBO , announced at its Watch event earlier this month . Called HBO Now , the on-demand service is launching exclusively on Apple devices next month and this is said to be a 'taster ' for what 's to come later this year . At its Watch event earlier this month Tim Cook announced Apple 's partnership with HBO for the launch of HBO Now . The on-demand service will offer all of HBO 's shows for $ 14.99 a month . HBO 's boss Richard Plepler said : 'All you need is a broadband connection and an Apple device . ' There will be a brand new HBO Now channel on Apple TV , iPhones and iPads . The service is launching in April , in time for Game of Thrones and for people who sign up in April , they will get the first month free . Apple also dropped the price of its TV box from $ 99 to $ 69 and Mr Cook hinted at plans for an updated Apple TV set . 'Apple TV will reinvent the way you watch television - and this is just the beginning , ' said the chief executive . Apple also recently cut the price of its Apple TV from $ 99 to $ 69 . Last month reports claimed Apple was working on a Netflix rival . Sources at the time said the service would put together bundles of programming , rather than entire TV lineups . And Apple is said to have shown programmers demos of the proposed service , but talks seem to be in the early stages . Apple has made repeated attempts to crack the TV business . In his biography of Steve Jobs , Walter Isaacson quoted the late Apple co-founder as saying : ' I 'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use . It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud . ' 'It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine . I finally cracked it . '' In 2009 , Apple proposed a $ 30-a-month subscription service , and since then the company has periodically tried different strategies . Apple 's most recent plan has been to work with pay-TV providers like Time Warner Cable to provide a hardware/software offering to those company 's customers . Apple boss Tim Cook has also said several times the company wants to figure out how to crack TV . Apple also dropped the price of its TV box from $ 99 to $ 69 and Mr Cook hinted at plans for an updated Apple TV set . 'Apple TV will reinvent the way you watch television - and this is just the beginning , ' said Mr Cook . Apple has made repeated attempts to crack the TV business . In his biography of Steve Jobs , Walter Isaacson quoted the late Apple co-founder as saying : ' I 'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use . It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud ' At the Code conference last May , Apple media boss Eddy Cue told Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher that 'the TV experience sucks . ' 'All we have today is glorified VCRs , ' Cue said , saying the only big improvement is that now you do n't have to reset the clock when the power goes out . 'The experience has been stuck . ' Apple also recently bought an Israeli firm that creates technology which could mean the end of the TV remote - and even the computer keyboard and was recently granted a patent for 'Minority Report'-style 3D gesture controls . The system uses a 3D camera to track movement , and use it to control an on screen interface - which could be a computer or the much anticipated Apple TV . In 2009 , Apple proposed a $ 30-a-month subscription service , and since then the company has periodically tried different strategies . Apple 's most recent plan has been to work with pay-TV providers like Time Warner Cable to provide a hardware/software offering to those company 's customers . Apple also recently bought Israeli technology that could mean the end of the TV remote - and even the computer keyboard , and was recently granted a patent ( pictured ) for 'Minority Report'-style 3D gesture controls . The system uses a 3D camera to track movement , and use it to control an on screen interface .
Unnamed sources said Apple plans to launch a 25-channel service . Show will be streamed to Apple TV , US , iPads and other iOS devices . Rumours suggest it will cost $ 40 a month making it an cable service rival . And the service could launch in the iPhones as early as June this year .