In recent months, Apple has been secretly working on expanding the function of its Apple TV device, and the latest rumors indicate they’re looking to allow you to skip live commercials.

The ability would be a huge, one-of-a-kind feature for their forthcoming set top box which they hope will disrupt the television industry.

For a price, Apple would allow you to “skip ads and would compensate television networks for the lost revenue, according to people briefed on the conversations.” The news was broken by the WSJ.

As many readers know, the ability to skip commercials is already available through DVR by simply fast-forwarding past the breaks. Apple’s feature is aiming to work with live television and material you’ve already recorded.

This concept is not finalized. Apple is said to be in the negotiation stages with cable companies and the television networks. The idea is so unique that it may take some serious wooing from Apple’s top executives, including CEO Tim Cook, who has said in recent months that the television industry is of great interest to his tech company.

Apple’s current TV device allows playback of content purchased through iTunes. HBO Go, Netflix, Hulu, and other companies offer apps exclusively for their subscribers.

The current Apple TV looks to be just a very small portion of what the company hopes to achieve in the long term when it comes to television.

Considering we already pay for subscriptions like Hulu, which come with ads despite a monthly fee, we would be very interested in an ad-free cable box. How much would you pay monthly for ad-free TV?