Apple has launched its dedicated TV app on Roku media players, ahead of next month’s launch of the Apple TV Plus streaming platform.
In an announcement sure to be jarring to many folks who’ve closely followed Apple history down the years, Roku says the app is now available to download for Roku OS streaming devices and TV sets.
Those adding the app to their streaming arsenal will be able to access the TV Plus content when Apple brings down the curtain on November 1. The app also brings access to any videos purchased from the iTunes Store. Meanwhile, if you’ve subscribed to premium ‘Channels’ from the Apple TV app, you’ll be able to access that content here too.
Seeing Apple software land on third-party platforms still feels a little strange, given the company only gave Windows users access to iTunes all those years ago out of sheer necessity, to open up the iPod market.
Apple’s slow shift towards a services economy has recently seen Apple Music make the switch to Android, while the TV app arrived on Samsung Smart TVs and other manufacturers earlier this year.
Related: New Apple TV box (2019)
It’ll be interesting to see which other platforms Apple TV lands on moving forward. Will we see it on Amazon’s Fire TV platform, given the weird history between the two? Prime Video is finally available on Apple platforms after a long absence, so we’d expect Amazon to reciprocate here.
The Apple TV app for Roku can be downloaded today, for free, in the following countries: Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, and the United States.
TV Plus will cost $4.99 a month when the content goes live on November 1, with a 7-day free trial. Launch content includes The Morning Show, Dickinson, See, For All Mankind and The Elephant Queen.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
