Rumor Mill: Apple TV Streaming Service??

Numerous sites have been posting articles today about alleged negotiations between Apple and various cable companies and networks. The idea, they say, is that Apple is working on a premium service not unlike Hulu that would be offered for free with ads or folks could pay a reasonable fee to skip those ads and Apple would give the money from the fees to the companies to cover the lost revenue. 

Now everyone knows that I'm gaga for my Apple Stuff and for movies etc. So yeah this whole thing has got my brain churning. 

I see this as a totally plausible notion but I'm not so sure that I buy that Apple is reinventing the wheel on this. There are a few things (hopefully going with my previous discussions about better pricing etc) that could be going on.

• This is just Apple negotiating for those previously discussed items of missing seasons, better quality etc. 
• Apple could be trying to convince Hulu etc to offer some kind of IAP that would turn off ads. On the Hulu front they might even be trying to get Hulu to allow their free stuff on iOS devices instead of this requiring a Hulu Plus account. And then maybe also removing ads from Hulu Plus (I don't know about anyone else but I'd up what I would pay to $15 a month for ad free viewing)
• Some kind of hybrid deal. Get all shows on season passes etc but offer also a premium pass that includes all the season features, quality blah blah of a regular one AND the ability to stream the episodes to an Apple TV or even iPad from the time of local OTA until the general 'home video' release (which for most shows is between 12-18 hours later)

Now I don't know about anyone else but if they did the last one in combo with the other stuff I've been talking about I'd be in heaven. But barring that or as a mid point I'd happily take an ad free membership to Hulu Plus, turning off ads for things like the CW app (with also more of those apps in the Apple TV) or even being able to subscribe to services like HBO inside the app without the whole 'with a cable subscription from someone that will let you have access' junk.