Sony planning PS4 digital TV assault – report

Microsoft’s Xbox One TV ambitions are well known, but new reports suggest Sony intends to take the digital TV fight to its rival.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Sony has reached a preliminary deal with Viacom that will see it provide paid streaming access to the likes of MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.

These services will be offered via PS4 and also on some of Sony’s digital TV sets, the site claims. The plan is apparently being led by Sony’s gaming division.

It doesn’t end there, either – Sony is allegedly also in talks with Disney, ESPN, Warner, HBO and CBS.

While Sony would need to strike other programming deals to create a compelling alternative to conventional pay-TV services, even a single deal represents a big shift within the entertainment industry,” WSJ says.

Big channel owners have been reluctant to license their programs to Internet-TV services for fear of undercutting the lucrative arrangements they have with cable, satellite and phone companies.”