Apple is bringing a bunch of new apps to its growing list of “channels” on its Apple TV set-top-box. Today the company added five more application, including The Weather Channel, Vevo, the Smithsonian, Disney, and Disney XD. This comes after Apple brought a slew of apps including HBO Go and WatchESPN a couple of months ago.
Three out of the five applications are free and offer the usual on-demand services (programming), while both Disney channels bring live streaming to those subscribed to a TV provider. At the moment, unfortunately, Disney and Disney XD live feed feature can’t be used by folks on Time Warner Cable, Dish or DirecTV.
This news all but confirms rumors that has been circling around about Apple being in talks with networks over content. It makes perfect sense that Apple take the route of going around the cable companies, and cut direct deals with networks to use their content. The reality is, cable companies don’t want to change what’s making them money, so ultimately customers are the ones who suffer.
To me, it makes more sense for Apple to push the Apple TV box instead of this asinine idea of putting everything now on the set-top-box on a television set. All these channels Apple continue to bring to the box proves a greater point in how TV will be used in the years to come. Negotiating deals with the companies who make the content is the top priority for companies such as Apple, Google, Amazon, Netflix, etc.
[via AllThingsD]