Universal search for Apple TV users has expanded in Canada, with the latest addition being Rogers’ City Video.
Image via Rogers iOS/tvOS developer Brian Coleman
Here are all the apps that support universal search on Apple TV—this means you can use Siri to search for shows across multiple apps:
The City Video app was launched by Rogers last September, in what the company called a Canadian first, allowing customers to watch shows on demand in HD.
Last month, we told you Bell’s CraveTV on Apple TV gained support for universal search.
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Great. Now let’s get some more content from these companies in the TVOS App Store. It’s embarrassing how little they have developed compared to the U.S. broadcasters.
well development is one thing, it the licensing issues that keep content from being launched here. Bell media and others own the rights, so they can choose where the content goes, limiting what we can see. So, even though there are shows a plenty on Netflix and other apps in the states, Bell make sure you have to pay extra to get it here on their crappy crave. Even shows developed here, will see play in the states faster. this is why Netflix, google, amazon, and others are pushing for global licensing. And Rogers, bell, and others are pushing against it.
What I’d really like to see is Bell and Rogers adding more to TVOS that they’ve already released on other platforms. Bell especially who has already released a CTV Go, TMN Go, and TSN Go app for Xbox One. Rogers seemed to have started with City and FX Canada. Not to mention all the apps for iOS and android that have airplay or chromecast enabled. They are starting to embrace the market, but have yet to unify it all in one place.
Here’s my thinking with Bell – doesn’t a lot of the content on those apps (especially TSN and TMN) require you to have an active subscription? I know CTV has some On-Demand stuff (but more is available if you log-in). Bell has developed a very nice tvOS app for their FibeTV service (and I think their cable-cutting package as well) and it includes access to all of those live channels and all of the On-Demand content as well. I’m assuming they put their resources behind that app instead of individual apps for each channel.
Is there any reason why apps like Crunchyroll, Shudder and Sundance Now have Universal Search support in the US, but not in Canada, even though the Apple TV apps are available here too?