Following the addition of the official Cricket Australia channel for Apple TV users down under earlier this week, Apple refreshed its video streaming box for US users Friday night with new content through the Tennis Channel Everywhere service. The new Apple TV channel features both on-demand tennis and live matches with an optional annual subscription.
The annual subscription is called Tennis Channel Plus and goes for $69.99/year unlocking access to live tennis coverage including the 2015 Australian Open starting next week and 2015 French Open starting in June. The annual subscription applies to Apple TV as well as Tennis Channel Everywhere’s iPhone and iPad apps and web site.
Additionally, the Tennis Channel Live functionality is available separately for subscribers of select cable providers including AT&T U-Verse, Cox, DISH, DirecTV, and Verizon FiOS.
Highlights from recent matches from around the world are available to viewers even regardless of cable/satellite access or a Tennis Channel Plus subscription.
Tennis Channel Everywhere joins the lineup of existing Apple TV sports-related channels including WatchESPN, UFC TV, MLB.TV, NFL Now, Red Bull TV, ACC Sports, WWE Network, MLS, NBA, NHL, and Willow. The new channel is available over-the-air without a software update.
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Props to them. Now all I need is Golf Channel to do the same thing and I’ll cancel my cable.
I’m reminded that in the Charlie Rose interview, Tim Cook said current televisions had a terrible user interface. While I appreciate increasing the available content on ATV, it easily has one of the worst interfaces of any Apple product. I’m beginning to think we may all die waiting on Steve’s grand vision of how TV should work.
That’s assuming Steve really had a grand vision.
“Tennis Channel Everywhere” – available only in the US. Nice.
As far as UI goes, Apple TV has one of the worst interfaces of any connected media player ever made. Don’t get me wrong, those generic Android TV boxes are insanely horrible and almost impossible to use even for a seasoned media and IT expert, but Apple TV has always looked like it was developed on a dare to produce the quickest and most piece of shit experience possible on a TV.
Here’s the thing about the Steve Jobs quote in his Biography. It’s bullshit. Apple have not demonstrated anything in any product line that gives any credence to them having any clue about how a TV based UI should work.
Speak for yourself…
This before Amazon Prime Instant Video? C’monnnnnn
Do we know that Apple’s refusing to add it? Or is it Amazon that won’t allow it? If Apple allows Netflix why would they refuse Amazon?
Because Amazon have their own Amazon branded hardware as well as a app store etc. If Apple introduced any of their AppleTV users to Amazon they may think people might end up using Amazon stuff.
It’s a possibility (but probably wrong!).
Apple should put their customers first, and well before any corporate self interest. Amazon are now a real player in the world of streaming video, and have a growing range of exclusive shows. (including one this year by Woody Allen) For Apple to deny ATV owners access to Amazon’s content for some petty, illogical reasons, or perhaps out of spite after the whole Kindle affair, would be offensive and counter productive.
Most other platforms holders, such as Roku, Microsoft, and Sony are happy to support Amazon Instant Video, so Apple certainly should too.
Wait.. is this for US only? How about Canada?
If your AppleTV doesn’t auto update, get the latest update from settings and once restarted look to see if you have the app. If you do, open it and voila! your answer awaits!
And yet still no Amazon Instant Video. Hilarious stuff Apple, your sense of priorities is somewhere between bizarre and insane.
All you have to do is stream it from your IPad or iPhone .
The Apple TV layout it awful, and simply subpar when it comes to their competition – let alone the standards they have set with their other products. Don’t get me wrong, I own an Apple TV. However, I don’t know why were still waiting for an update that allows searching within apps from the homescreen, deleting apps without going into settings and a remote app that works. They need a serious update this year – even if it’s nothing more than another patch to hold us over until they unveil their ‘revolutionary’ TV solution.
Frankly Apple need to start from scratch with their next TV device. The Apple TV’s hardware is comically outdated, the remote control is terrible, the UI is primitive, there’s no voice search, no universal search, and most bizarrely of all – no app store. Even the Apple Watch has an app store, but Apple’s TV device doesn’t..! Truly strange and highly illogical.
Plus for those of us outside America the app line up on the ATV is by a very, very long way the worst of any streaming device. The Amazon Fire TV LAUNCHED in the UK with far more apps than Apple have so far managed to amass in many years of ATV sales.
Hold down the Select button on your remote and you can delete an app from the home screen without going to settings.
I would be already content if they would provide access to more channel in EU (Germany in particular). No access to Amazon Instant video (if not only via Airplay and even that case often only via desktop browser purchases – a lot of things cannot be lent or bought directly via the app – why??). Yet we do get access to a wonderful Korean stream portal, on which most of the content BTW is not free!!!! (because in Germany they would clearly loose business without end – *everybofy* knows korean in Germany and EU in general, right Apple?).
BTW – on the iTunes Store Germany, surely there is a lot of content – too bad that some is offered only in German at prices higher or equal to the their DVD/Blu-Ray counterpart, which offers all languages (including the original one! which is not german!).
I wonder if it is Apple doing all this crap, or the content provider following some kind of sad and sick logic – one thing is sure – they loose money – because I am surely not buying a movie without its original language at a price higher than the disc version!
Amazon Instant Video!!!?????
Sounds like you should actually look into an Amazon Prime account, if they offer it yet in Germany.
I was curious to view the comments and see if/how much people people were complaining about the interface because I saw this coming. When I first bought my Apple TV years ago I felt the UI was adequate at the time. Frankly that’s because the Apple TV had a relatively small, crappy selection of channels back then compared to Roku. IIRC, they were few enough in number that they all fit on screen without any scrolling necessary.
I’ve watched the box steadily grow in content over the years and I’m pretty sure I commented here on article a long time ago that it was getting to the point where the UI needed an update because the user experience with it is degrading as more content is added. If my Roku (it’s an older model I bought even before my Apple TV) weren’t slow so and I had a good iOS remote for it I would be using it primarily at this point because it at least allows for some menu customization.
The AppleTV does too- just hold down the main button on remote, the apps will “wiggle” like they do on iPhone/iPad and you can rearrange them. And from the main menu in settings you can Hide channels you do not want on the Home screen. Not sure why you say it’s not customizable…
if it were not for airplay, Apple may as well withdraw ATV for UK, lack of any meaningful content even UK based items like BBC iPlayer which even my Smart TV has.
When are we getting a new UI? navigation is so inefficient.
Sweet I just subscribed to this last week. Now I can watch matches on the big screen instead of my iPad.
I don’t understand how scrolling through 1,000 unsorted channels is easier than cable.
Hide the ones you don’t like/never use and/or move the ones you use frequently near each other.
Of all the posts to have this many comments. Zac, good job getting people to talk about the Tennis Channel update. This was easily the most yawn worthy thing I saw on my Apple TV last night before bed.
The slogan makes no sense… Tennis Channel Everywhere… as long as you are in the US… The rest of the world is nowhere… ?
Before we all bash Apple for what AppleTV does or doesn’t have and how its presented, lets wait for the “actual” AppleTV update. I’m sure they’re well aware of how things are starting to look on the home screen. I’m thinking they’re waiting for the better layout/function for this major update of AppleTV whenever it happens (if it happens).
I’d like Apple to develop a more integrated content approach rather than having users navigate tiles of channel “apps.”
Further I’d like Apple TV to ask me once for my cable provider details and unlock all relevant content instead of the current approach of having me validate each channel with an activation website. Make channels I’m not eligible to view disappear as an option.
Finally, I’m subscriptioned out. Our lives have become subscriptions and in-apps. iTunes Match, Spotify, Spotify, Sports networks, Netflix, etc…
i agree with Sam (@3amsam)
tennis everywhere…..!!!!How about us here in Canada!!!
An update of channels in Europe (Germany in particular) would be nice…
I am already in shock that we get Netflix in Germany at all….
Yet still no official Plex channel…
I agree where is Tennis channel in canada?????
My Tennis Channel app requires a new passcode registration each time I use it. Anyone else having this issue?
Not once I register my provider the enter my info. (For me, provider is DirecTV and subsequent login & password)
*provider theN enter my info…