Apple TV Gets Live MLS Games And Disney Junior Kids Content Via New Channels

Apple continues to roll out its staged partner additions, with two new channels appearing on the streaming media player today. The Major League Soccer channel brings soccer (or “football,” depending on how European you are) and the Disney Junior channel adds a third outlet for that media giant’s content to invade your Apple TV.

The Disney Junior channel requires authentication via cable providers to ensure you have a subscription that allows access to its live programming and on-demand shows, which is the same et up that Disney Channel XD and Disney Channel on Apple TV use. That’s similar to how its HBO offering operates, and content providers in general seem keen on this kind of arrangement for bringing content to Apple’s streamer that used to be locked to cable company set-top boxes.

The MLS app provides scores and highlights for everyone who enjoys American and Canadian teams playing the sport where you kick a ball towards (or away from) a giant net on a big green field, whatever you choose to call that. It also offers access to live streaming matches via MLS Live, but you’ll need an annual subscription (starting at $14.99, with direct purchase through Apple TV available) to unlock that feature. The nice thing is that it covers an entire season’s worth of games, and also works on the MLS iPhone and iPad apps.

Apple is pretty much always adding new content and channels to the Apple TV these days, and clearly wants to make it a destination device for top-tier providers. It’s competing in a market that includes Roku and various built-in smart TVs from almost every OEM at this point, which have access to channel libraries that can number in the hundreds or even thousands, so building partnerships is a good idea at this point.

The Apple TV is getting lots of love lately from Apple, via a recent software update and a new feature that lets you setup a new streaming box with a simple tap of your iPhone or iPad thanks to the magic of Bluetooth LE. Rumors have been swirling about refreshed hardware coming soon, too, so it’s possible that’s why the company is lavishing so much attention on software of late.

Via: The Tech Crunch

Apple buys Matcha.tv video app

Apple may hope the move will boost its video recommendations service

Matcha.tv ran on iOS, Apple’s operating system, and offered comprehensive listings of all films and programmes available on television, streaming video services and digital video stores – such as iTunes and Amazon.

It allowed users to queue the videos they had chosen, log in to social networks to see what their friends were watching and liking, and also offered video recommendations.

But the app closed in May with no explanation given. Its CEO, Guy Piekarz said only that the service was not gone for good but would be developing in a new direction.

Matcha.tv was still growing at the time and regularly featured among the most popular items in Apple’s App Store.

The acquisition was reported by the VentureBeat website, which cited a source claiming Apple had paid between $1m and $1.5m for the application.

Apple refused to comment on the reported purchase directly, only telling the site: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”

It is unclear at this stage what the Californian company plans to do with the app, though analysts have suggested it will be used to boost its video recommendations service, drawing users away from Netflix.

CEO Tim Cook has talked about Apple’s plans to "revolutionise" the TV industry.

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Apple’s TV plans likely won’t disrupt the big cable companies

While Google and Intel look dead-set on disrupting the cable industry, Apple appears to be taking a more accommodating approach. The New York Times reports that Apple’s secretive long-term plans for the television market will likely include partnerships with both media companies and cable companies to get its television products into consumers’ living rooms more quickly.

To this end, the Times says that Apple is “collaborating with distributors like Time Warner Cable and programmers like the Walt Disney Company on apps that might eliminate the unpleasant parts of TV watching, like bothersome set-top boxes or clunky remote controls” and not trying to create its own Internet-based content streaming service that would compete against the established providers.

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