Verizon poised to launch live FiOS TV app for iPad

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) will introduce an application enabling its FiOS digital cable subscribers to view live streaming television and movies via Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad tablet device. Verizon demonstrated the application, dubbed "What's Hot," on Wednesday--chief information officer Shaygan Kheradpir told Reuters that while technical development on the solution is essentially complete, the company must secure licensing rights with its content provider partners before it can begin streaming programs to mobile devices. Verizon consumer strategy planner Shawn Strickland added the communications giant would not pay content providers extra for its customers' use of the FiOS tablet app when they are at home: "When you take it outside the home there are conversations we're having about how this will work," Strickland said. Verizon reported 3.2 million FiOS TV subscribers at the end of Q2 2010.

Announcement of the What's Hot app follows immediately on the heels of news that Time Warner-owned premium cable network HBO plans to expand its web-based HBO Go streaming video service to the iPad and other mobile devices within the next six months. HBO co-president Eric Kessler told Bloomberg the network--which holds cable and Internet broadcast rights to films from Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox and Universal Pictures--plans to widen the scope of its digital efforts in lieu of inking a movie rental and video streaming service provider Netflix, which has recently accelerated its efforts to gain online access to content from all the major Hollywood studios. Last week, Netflix agreed to pay the Epix cable channel over $900 million to acquire digital distribution rights to releases from Paramount Pictures, Lions Gate Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

For more on Verizon's iPad plans:
- read this Reuters article

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