Apple TV has scored two big media partners: ESPN and HBO.
The Cupertino, Calif.-tech giant said yesterday that it would add the WatchESPN and HBO Go apps to its set-top box lineup.
The deals bring yet more brands into the Apple fold as it seeks to crack the living room TV set — the last screen the maker of the iPhone and iPad has yet to truly conquer.
Apple TV has about 10 million users, thanks in part to streaming services such as Netflix that are available through the device. But Apple has a keen interest in developing a more ambitious product that isn’t tethered to the traditional TV model.
Both HBO GO and WatchESPN still require people to be paying cable customers to access the channels via Apple TV and other Web-connected devices.
Apple has resisted such subscription verification for the apps on its TV box, but the latest deals show that it will have to fight strong, entrenched forces if it is going to revolutionize consumers’ TV habits.