James R | On 06, Nov 2015

NOW has released a new app for the upgraded Apple TV.

The app was available on the previous version of Apple’s little black box, so the arrival of the streaming service will come as no surprise. In fact, it was promoted as one of the device’s main launch applications – a fact that left owners of the brand new Apple TV slightly stuck for content to watch outside of Netflix, YouTube and their iTunes library.

Indeed, even BBC iPlayer is absent on the new Apple TV. While the Beeb has since announced it will be developing an app for the tvOS platform, Sky has jumped in front by making its NOW app already available through the set top box’s App Store.

NOW is a VOD service that takes the cord-cutting approach common on US soil and applies it to UK broadcaster Sky. That means that those who don’t want to sign up for a full Sky contract can still access its pay-TV content but on a month-by-month subscription basis.

The service is divided into three parts: an Entertainment Membership (£7.99 a month), providing live and on-demand streaming of Sky 1 (home of Arrow and Supergirl), Sky Atlantic (home of the Affair and The Last Panthers) and FOX UK (The Walking Dead) and more; a NOW Cinema Membership (£9.99 a month), providing live and on-demand streaming of the Sky Movies catalogue, which currently includes all of Star Wars, the whole Harry Potter saga, Whiplash, Ex Machina, Birdman and Wild; and a Sky Sports Pass, which allows live streaming of the 7 Sky Sports channels for a limited period of time.

Gidon Katz, Director of NOW, says: “We are pleased to be able to offer our range of flexible and great value NOW passes to Apple TV customers on the new box. There’s never been a better time to get stuck into gripping shows from Sky, including our brand new original drama, The Last Panthers on Sky Atlantic (12th Nov) to the return of Elementary on Sky Living (19th Nov), as well as over 250 Box Sets from Grey’s Anatomy to Hannibal right from the very first episode.”

The announcement follows the release of NOW’s own little black box, which doesn’t have Netflix, but does have iPlayer and the other Freeview catch-up services, YouTube and – of course – NOW, for £15.

Will the addition of NOW to Apple TV’s line-up be enough to get people to stump up for the £129.00 black box? Let us know your thoughts below – or head this way for our NOW Box review. We’ll have an Apple TV review for you shortly.

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