HBO, ESPN and Sky launch on Apple TV

HBO’s Boardwalk Empire

HBO, ESPN, Sky News and other content providers have launched on Apple’s TV service.

The deals mean that HBO Go subscribers can watch content from the service on connected devices via Apple TV settops.

The WatchESPN service allows Apple TV owners to watch sport video content from the ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 channels. Consumers must have ESPN as part of a pay TV package to watch it on Apple.

“HBO GO and WatchESPN are some of the most popular iOS apps and are sure to be huge hits on Apple TV,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior VP of Internet Software and Services.

Sky News, Crunchyroll and Qello have also been added to Apple TV, the technology company said. Sky News on Apple TV will deliver the channel’s live 24/7 news feed to users in the US, UK and Ireland.

Crunchyroll, the global video service for Japanese Anime and Asian media, will allow subscribers worldwide to watch the latest HD shows one hour after they air in Japan and Qello, a leading on-demand streaming service for HD concerts and music docs, will offer free or paid-for music content.

Apple noted that iTunes users are now purchasing Over 800,000 TV episodes and over 350,000 movies per day.