Prince McLeanMTV Networks is expected to announce Tuesday plans to merge its online digital music service into a joint venture with music software company RealNetworks, according to the Wall Street Journal.
As part of the deal, MTV will reportedly ditch its MTV Urge download service that it launched last year alongside Microsoft Corp.
Meanwhile, the Journal reported that the new service between MTV and Real will tap wireless provider Verizon Wireless to help supply mobile content to users.
The paper suggested that the pact with Verizon could bolster the new venture's battle against iTunes, given that Apple drew widespread criticism from mobile operators and consumers when it made AT&T its exclusive wireless provider for the iPhone.
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91 Comments
Who is this MTV that you speak of.
Who is this MTV that you speak of.
More so, does this real networks still exist?
Seriously, can anyone see any way that Apple can be challenged in this area? Their only concern will be to steer a course through any potential monopoly challenge but then, where's the unfair practise?. They may have to create an 'Apple Law' at some point in the future. In a couple of years time I could envisage Steve throwing a switch and BOOM Apple becomes the largest record company in the world overnight.
After following Apple for 25 years is wrong to enjoy every minute of this?
Didn't MTV used to have something to do with music once upon a time?
MTV told some exec they wanted to create an online music store to compete with iTunes, and once that person stopped laughing, he were able to choke out "Get real!"
So they did.
MTV / VH1 stopped being about music a long time ago. What can they offer - purchasable videos of the same things they recycle on a half dozen 24-hour channels of road rules, real world, cribs, sweet 16, hulk hogan...?