NBC Universal is to launch its reality-themed streaming service hayu on Apple TV as well offering its subscribers the chance to download content to watch offline.
Speaking at Thursday’s ‘Next Generation Video on Demand’ session, NBCU’s Hendrik McDermott, senior vice president of branded on demand, revealed that the broadcaster was looking to launch the app – dubbed ‘the Netflix for reality TV’ – on Apple TV in Q4 of this year and that other deals would likely follow.
“We are looking to grow in terms of distribution and will look at all platforms that make sense in terms of volume, scale and reach. We want to partner with content providers as well as pay-TV and mobile operators,” said McDermott.
Current partners of the streaming service, which launched this March, include Virgin Media in the UK, on its Tivo platform, and Foxtel in Australia.
“The Virgin Tivo app is performing exceptionally well with session times averaging over 60 minutes – that’s at least two shows per session,” McDermott added.
