Apple will release a new app that will combine content from subscription video services, iTunes and other apps into a single platform.
The app, simply called ‘TV’, was announced as part of Apple’s ‘Hello Again’ event. TV will showcase many of the TV shows and movies a user can access, removing the need to login to the individual apps of broadcasters and subscription services.
The TV app will give users a “unified TV experience that’s one place to access all of your TV shows and movies, one place to discover great new content to watch,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Key features of the new app include ‘Watch Now’, where users can explore all available shows and movies, ‘Up Next’, which lets users continue watching content from where they left off, ‘Recommended’, which suggests trending shows and recommendations from Apple, and ‘Store’, where users can discover content they haven’t downloaded or subscribed to.
While TV will support many apps from major services and TV networks in the US, including Hulu and HBO, notably missing from the supported services is Netflix, which has 47.5 million subscribers in the US alone.
TV will be available in the US on Apple TV, as well as iPhone and iPad, from December. Apple have not announced plans for an Australian release.