(Reuters) - Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) executives met James Bond franchise-owner MGM Holdings Inc and the collegiate athletic conference Pac-12 earlier this year as part of its efforts to boost the Apple TV service, the Wall Street Journal reported https://on.wsj.com/2PEGhH7 on Thursday.

The tech behemoth's Apple TV app and TV+ services were launched in November at $4.99 per month with nine original programs, marking the iPhone maker's entry into the crowded streaming TV market.

Apple declined to comment to a request by Reuters.

The conversations with MGM and the Pac-12 were preliminary and have yet to reach an advanced stage, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

A deal with the Pac-12 would be Apple's foray into live sports.

(Reporting by Shradha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)

Reuters