Apple TV Gets More TV

The current-generation Apple TV is getting access to more TV content after extending a bridge to CBS All Access, CBS’s stand-alone OTT subscription service, and the NBC app.

CBS All Access, which costs $5.99 per month, offers thousands of shows on demand and streams live feeds in more than 100 markets. CBS said it’s offering a free week-long trial to the service via Apple TV; current subscribers can sign in with their normal credentials. 

CBS All Access also supports the Android TV platform, Android and iOS mobile devices, Web browsers at CBS.com, Roku players and integrated Roku TVs, and the Google Chromecast.

NBC, meanwhile, has expanded its app to the legacy Apple TV and the Xbox One, with Amazon’s  Fire TV platform and the Chromecast on deck,Variety reported.  NBC’s app also runs on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets and the Roku platform.

Update: NBC confirmed its plans to expand access to its app on the Fire TV and Chromecast. "We are very excited to launch our vast library of NBC programming on Xbox One and Apple TV," Rob Hayes, EVP, NBC Digital Entertainment, said in a statement. “As we see viewership increasingly grow on connected devices and gaming consoles, we’re looking forward to expanding NBC across more platforms this year. Fans will be able to watch the current season of ‘The Blacklist,’ which is currently only available on the NBC App, as well as more than 40 additional series and over 1,000 episodes of both current and classic hit shows." 

“With Xbox our goal is to deliver premium gaming and entertainment, and we’re very happy to partner with NBC to bring their TV lineup to Xbox One owners," added Mike Nichols, corporate VP, marketing for Xbox. “With the NBC app, Xbox One owners will enjoy free episodes of many of your favorite NBC shows, full seasons to catch up on, and brand new episodes the day after they air, all right next to your Xbox One games.”

Consumers will be able to place orders for the new, more app-centric Apple TV product line on Monday (October 26), with shipments slated to start by the end of next week, Apple CEO Tim Cook said yesterday at the WSJDLive conference in Laguna Beach, Calif.