Apple TV added several new app channels for different countries such as Australia, Europe and Japan on Tuesday, as first noticed by 9to5Mac. Apple TV services can be used on computers, Android and iOS, and the Nintendo Wii U.
Apple adds a variety of channels
In Australia, the company added the Stan app, a domestic service similar to Netflix which hosts movies and TV shows. The Stan app is an ad-free service and can run on three devices simultaneously.
Similarly, in countries like Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, subscribers can watch Viaplay, a service that shows movies, TV shows and sports. Apple also added yet another channel known as the WWE Wrestling Network, which is now available in the U.K. and Ireland. In Japan, users can access Bandai through the Apple TV.
As of now, it is not known for how long Apple will continue to update its third-generation Apple TV. Coming in June at WWDC, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company is expected to reveal its fourth-generation set-top box with features such as Siri, an App store and a touchpad remote. Within the App Store, users may have to find channels rather than automatically getting them delivered.
Will Apple change the pay-TV landscape?
Separately, Pacific Crest Securities analyst Andy Hargreaves said on Tuesday that Apple will launch a premium digital TV service that will transform the pay-TV landscape. Hargreaves expects the company to roll out a virtual multi-channel video programming service that will be identified as the “high quality service” and priced around $40 to $50 per month.
The analyst believes that Apple will be a step ahead in offering personalization and mobility compared to current pay-TV offerings and will probably offer linear feeds of the biggest broadcast and cable networks and a “rich on-demand offering” along with live sports. Apple is already offering HBO Now for $14.99 per month.
“A well-executed Apple service could alter consumers’ expectations for a linear bundle and alter the competitive landscape,” Hargreaves said. With Apple’s marketing expertise, the service may see a rapid share shift “over a short time,” affecting the earnings per share at Comcast by around 3%, Time Warner Cable by 6%, DISH Network by 24%, and DIRECTV by 11% (provided Apple captures 10% of each of their video subscribers), stated the analyst.
