Under the final judgement, Comcast must treat online video services as essentially equal to cable companies. Comcast is required to give those services access to the same NBCUniversal content that it sells to cable providers, under the same terms and conditions.
Additionally, if an online video service strikes a deal with one of NBC’s peers — such as CBS — Comcast is obligated to license “comparable” content at “economically comparable” rates. For example, if Apple’s new service were to carry first-run CBS programming, Comcast must makes its own first-run programming available at roughly the same rates as those negotiated between Apple and CBS.
It looks like there is some leeway there, but I didn’t realize the details of Comcast’s deal to buy NBC. That will piss them off.
In addition to this, the FCC has started a proceeding that will apply program access regulations that currently apply to cable companies to online services.
Currently, all content companies have to offer their programming to all cable companies. In a year or two, that will probably apply to online providers too.
From the wording of the WSJ article, though, it seems that maybe the holdup is as much Apple as Comcast right now?