BBC Fulfills Promise To Bring iPlayer App To Apple TV UK; Broadcaster Initially Had No Plans To Do So

BBC launched the its iPlayer app for the new Apple TV in the UK. For the first time, the new app brings the popular streaming service from the country's public broadcaster to the set-top box, reported MacRumors.

On earlier Apple set-top boxes, iPlayer had been notably absent but, according to The Verge, BBC was available everywhere. It is in Roku, Chromecast and Fire TV. However, Apple TV now supports third-party apps from the App Store and the demand for the BBC to bring its service to the TV platform has been increasing.

It is fortunate that the BBC iPlayer app finally landed on Apple's fourth-generation TV. Initially, BBC said it had "no plans" of bringing its app to the set-top box during the "Hey Siri" media event. At least the broadcaster had been convinced when Apple TV launched in late October and announced iPlayer would land on the TV "in the coming months."

It finally went live over the weekend and BBC confirmed the launched on Monday, reported The Verge. Some Twitter users already posted pictures showing the BBC iPlayer working on Apple TV.

The app has personalized recommendations, recent programs from the last 30 days and live-streaming of all channels of BBC.  Dan Taylor-Watt, head of iPlayer said that as viewers come to BBC during Christmas, "I'm delighted we've been able to give people another way of accessing the full breadth and range of BBC programs."

Pocket-Lint has observed the BBC iPlayer app suits the Apple's aesthetic design of the TV's many apps with all of BBC's content accessible from the TV with a dedicated menu for each BBC channel.

For the meantime, Siri search does not seem to pull out content inside the iPlayer app like what it does with iTunes and Netflix. For instance, consumers cannot voice search "Doctor Who." The search feature is within the iPlayer itself, via text input.