October 13, 2013

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Netflix in talks with US cable providers -- report

(Credit: Netflix) Netflix, which has long had a love-hate relationship with the cable industry, could finally be looking to get cozier with US pay-TV providers.

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Netflix, which has long had a love-hate relationship with the cable industry, could finally be looking to get cozier with US pay-TV providers.

According to a report in Sunday's Wall Street Journal, Netflix is in talks with Comcast, Suddenlink Communications, and other service providers to offer its online video service as an app on their set-top boxes.

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However, the talks are in early stages and no deal is imminent, people familiar with the matter told the Journal.

Netflix last month inked a deal with the UK's Virgin Media that will allow it to integrate its streaming service into Virgin's service through TiVo set-top boxes. But a similar deal with US pay-TV providers would be the first of its kind.

If such a deal were to come to fruition, it would not only give consumers yet more devices from which to access the online video service, but it would mean US pay-TV providers are no longer working so hard to keep Netflix at arm's length.

Netflix has been hoping to forge partnerships with US pay-TV providers for some time. Last month, David Wells, Netflix's chief financial officer, told Bloomberg during an investor conference that it's had a standing invitation to US cable operators to add Netflix for two years.

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