From DailyTech: Intel is trying to sell off its OnCue online pay-TV service for a reported $500 million and wants to complete the deal by the end of the year. Unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg claim that Verizon Communications is one of the potential buyers of OnCue.
Intel has offered no official comment on the deal.
The main attraction of OnCue is its ability to deliver pay-TV programming over any high-speed internet connection without the need for a dedicated cable line. Intel has pumped a lot of resources – including dedicated hardware and software platforms -- into OnCue, but has faced challenges getting off the ground.
One of the big reasons the service failed according to industry sources is due to costs. Bloomberg’s sources claim that licensing for paid programming cost Intel hundred of millions of dollars upfront under the terms Intel was able to get the chipmaker would have needed to outlay hundreds of millions of dollars up front regardless of whether the service was a hit or not with customers.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich decided that the internet TV arm was a distraction for the company and has decided to make a major push into mobile and internet-connected devices instead.
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