Apple TV universal search gets support for Discovery Communications channels, Sundance, Filmstruck, more

By AppleInsider Staff

Apple this week added a handful of television content providers -- most of which are owned by Discovery Communications -- to a slowly growing list of services that offer support for universal search on fourth-generation Apple TV devices.

The expansion was announced in an update to an Apple Support Pages document regarding Apple TV search options.

According to the updated list, users in the U.S. can now ask Siri to search for shows airing on Discovery Communications properties AHC GO (American Heroes Channel), Destination America GO, Discovery Life GO and Velocity GO, as well as Filmstruck, Shudder and Sundance Now.

Apple TV's search capabilities are also expanded in international markets. In Australia, support has been expanded to include AnimeLab and DocPlay, while Canada receives integration for City Video and CraveTV. MUBI, which previously built hooks into universal search for regions like the UK and Sweden, has extended platform integration to include France, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands and Spain.

Apple TVs universal search feature indexes content from supported streaming networks on Apple services, allowing users to surface shows, viewing options and more with a Siri search. For example, a Siri query for popular automotive series "Overhaulin'" now returns the show's landing page with availability on both iTunes and Velocity GO.

Universal search was introduced as a Siri tentpole feature when the fourth-generation Apple TV debuted in 2015. Owners can use their Siri Remote or Apple TV Remote app to search for TV shows, videos and other media from anywhere in the tvOS interface.

Most recently, Apple TV universal search gained Cartoon Network integration in April.