While Time Warner Cable is paying incentives and threatening content providers to keep video offline, Intel is doing the complete opposite. Sources familiar with the matter state that Intel is offering to pay up to 75% more than cable companies to have content streamed through their upcoming internet-based TV service (via a set-top box).

Of course, once we think about it this makes sense. Content providers usually charge more to distributors with less viewers. Intel is just starting in this business, so they have literally zero viewers and will have to pay a bit more. The same sources state Intel didn’t originally plan to pay as much in subscriber fees, further proving that this was necessary for successful negotiations.

It is said that Intel hasn’t finalized any deals yet, but things are looking bright for the company. If Intel manages to get a good list of video providers and a good platform to offer streaming on, it might not only improve the industry. It will also compete against our beloved Google TV.

Google TV currently doesn’t offer live TV on its own, and we have to agree that chord-cutting is a substantial factor in the future of TV. Intel did mention last February that it intends to compete against Google, Apple TV, Amazon and other video streaming services, as well as set-top boxes.

Intel is yet another competitor Google has to worry about, but it may also be the company that frees video content from the hands of cable companies.

[Reuters]