William M. Welch

USA TODAY

Shares of Apple rose Monday on a report it is in talks with Comcast, the nation's largest cable provider, about a joint streaming-television service using an Apple set-top box.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the arrangement under discussion would have Comcast provide special treatment on its cable system to ensure the video data would get around Web congestion, the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources familiar with the talks.

Apple, the report said, intends to allow users to stream live and on-demand programming stored in "cloud" servers. If it goes through, the deal would signal a new level of cooperation between technology and cable TV companies.

Apple shares were up 0.7% to $536.39 at midday. Comcast fell 0.4% to $49.80.

Comcast had no comment on the report. Apple did not respond to media inquiries.

Last month, Comcast reached an agreement with Netflix to ensure its movies and TV shows stream more quickly for Comcast customers.

Comcast and others cable companies are showing signs they will take a more aggressive stance in how content streams through their "pipes" after a mid-January federal appeals court ruling that eliminated "net neutrality" rules, which had prohibited Internet providers from prioritizing content.











