Xbox Live TV rumors heat up; Comcast, Verizon, HBO content may be coming soon

The recent random rumors about live TV programming finally landing on Xbox Live have now been legitimately upgraded. Via a “person with knowledge of the situation,” Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft plans to offer online pay television service from Comcast and Verizon through the console, with many other content providers also potentially in the mix. If you’re thinking this news mean you can cut the cable cord, think again: The Comcast and Verizon FiOS applications would require that users prove they are pay-TV customers to use the service. An announcement on the matter could come as soon as next week.

Time Warner’s HBO, NBC Universal’s Bravo, Syfy, and interestingly enough, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Crackle are all said to be in negotiations with Microsoft. The company recently said that more than 35 million people use Xbox Live worldwide. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has said they will add the Bing search engine to the Xbox by Christmas, along with voice searches through the Kinect peripheral.

Source: Bloomberg