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Apple’s TV service would pay networks to allow ad skipping
MUMBAI: Adding to rumors of Apple‘s supposed set-top cable box plans, a report on Monday claims the company is in the thick of talks with media executives over a “premium” level of the alleged service that would allow users to skip ads entirely.
According to the report, Apple recently informed networks about the “premium” version of the as-yet-unannounced service, which would theoretically have users of the proposed service pay Apple for the ability to skip ads.
While the system has yet to be detailed, similar offerings found heavy resistance from broadcasters. For example, Dish Network launched an ad-skipping technology in 2012, and was subsequently sued for its efforts.
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Apple is already seeing resistance from cable providers over its streaming services. When HBO launched the HBO Go app for Apple TV, some cable and satellite companies pushed back by refusing to authenticate the app for streaming.
With the advent of the DVR, however, an increasing amount of America‘s television-watching public are fast-forwarding through commercials. This could give Apple some leverage in negotiations, though details regarding the talks are few and far between.
Rumors of an Apple-branded set-top cable box have been floating around the web for nearly one year, with initial reports of the company‘s alleged plans coming in August 2012. Unlike DVRs, which store content on-site, Apple‘s rumored system would be cloud-based, meaning enhanced viewing flexibility and data handling.
Fanning the flames of an Apple partnership with at least one cable company, currently thought to be Time Warner, both CEO Tim Cook and SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue attended this year‘s Sun Valley conference and met with a number of media firms. The event, hosted by New York-based investment bank Allen & Co, brings together moguls from the media and tech industries for four days of lectures, discussions, and networking.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
