The BBC has confirmed that it is bringing its iPlayer service to the Apple TV.
You can get the BBC iPlayer on the vast majority of connected media-playing devices these days, including Apple’s iOS family. However, it’s never been available natively on Apple TV.
That’s not going to be the case for much longer, however. Now that Apple’s new and vastly improved Apple TV is available to buy, the BBC has promised to supply an official iPlayer app.
“BBC iPlayer will be coming to the new Apple TV in the coming months…” it tweeted.
“Available on over 10,000 devices, BBC iPlayer is one of the biggest and best on-demand video services in the world, and has transformed how UK audiences watch programmes online,” said BBC director general Tony Hall.
“I am delighted that iPlayer will be coming to the new Apple TV in the coming months, helping to bring the BBC’s distinctive and loved content to an even wider audience.”
One reason for the arrival of this new native app is hinted at by the related BBC News piece. It’s the only way service providers can utilise the new Apple TV’s cross-service voice search system.
Related: Amazon Fire TV 4K vs Apple TV (2015)
Once the BBC iPlayer app arrives on Apple TV, BBC content will be included in any naturalistic search made from the device.
It’s also worth noting that the BBC recently committed to bringing a streaming service to the US in 2016, so it’s clearly looking to expand online accessibility to its content.
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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.
