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Apple Adds WatchESPN, HBO GO, Sky News, and More to Apple TV

Wednesday June 19, 2013 7:13 am PDT by Eric Slivka
Apple today announced a software update for its Apple TV set-top box adding new channels including WatchESPN and HBO GO. The update also brings live streaming of the UK's Sky News, as well as anime site Crunchyroll and music concert and documentary streaming service Qello.
“HBO GO and WatchESPN are some of the most popular iOS apps and are sure to be huge hits on Apple TV,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We continue to offer Apple TV users great new programming options, combined with access to all of the incredible content they can purchase from the iTunes Store.”
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WatchESPN and HBO GO require that customers be subscribed to appropriate cable TV services, while Sky News offers free live streams and numerous video clips to users in the US, UK, and Ireland.

Crunchyroll offers a free 7-day trial to its Anime service, with subscriptions priced at $6.99/month. A more extensive All-Access membership is available for $11.99/month. Qello offers a free 7-day trial to its service, with subscriptions priced at $4.99/month for unlimited access to its library of concerts and music documentaries.

It was reported over a year ago that Apple was in talks to bring WatchESPN to the Apple TV, while claims of HBO GO talks surfaced earlier this year.

The update arrives as Apple TV software version 5.3 and is available now for the second- and third-generation Apple TV.

As part of its press release, Apple also disclosed new statistics on iTunes Store video usage, noting that users have purchased over a billion TV episodes and 380 million movies, with current rates of over 800,000 TV episodes and over 350,000 movies per day.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12, tvOS 13
Tags: ESPN, HBO, Apple TV Guide
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
[ 333 comments ]


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Small White Car
79 months ago

It's a shame that HBO Go is cable subscriber only.


Yeah, what's the theory here?

One can enjoy watching HBO on the same TV as before but with a different remote?

Snazzy!
Rating: 30 Votes
Avatar
Ugg
79 months ago
It's a shame that HBO Go is cable subscriber only.
Rating: 16 Votes
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DTphonehome
79 months ago
Yeah!! Now add Amazon instant and we're in business!
Rating: 14 Votes
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Jack Delgado
79 months ago
Lets be honest guys, this is pretty much like having an App Store for the Apple TV with a couple compromises:

-Eddy Cue manages the account for all of us.
-We don't really get a choice over what apps are downloaded.

Perfect.
Rating: 14 Votes
Avatar
jklps
79 months ago

Whatever. Still sucks that you have to be a cable subscriber to use it.


That's not on Apple, that's on ESPN/HBO/Cable Providers...
Rating: 10 Votes
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peteullo
79 months ago
It's about time!
Rating: 8 Votes
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Vctr
79 months ago

It's a shame that HBO Go is cable subscriber only.


Super easy workaround ... Just ask a friend who subscribes to cable and has HBO to let you use his login.
Rating: 7 Votes
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32KFJ
79 months ago
apple tv in austria isn't nearly as good as in america.

no tv shows
no espn
no nhl
no hbo
no sky
no hulu
no netflix

basically its just is mlb+movies+music...
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
DDaddyx2
79 months ago

Probably not but Amazon does have their video app for iOS devices

A channel similar to what's on the iPad, where Prime subscribers can watch their free content, shouldn't be a threat to Apple any more than Netflix is. If I want to rent a movie that isn't on Prime, then Apple can still force you to use iTunes.
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
acidblue
79 months ago

Yeah, what's the theory here?

One can enjoy watching HBO on the same TV as before but with a different remote?

Snazzy!



Well, if you know someone that has HBO and they don't use their HBO Go service... I'm just sayin'....

----------

Did they also add Cinemax Go?


Apple isn't big on porn. ;-)
Rating: 5 Votes

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