Native YouTube TV app coming to Apple TV 'very soon'

People wanting to watch Google's YouTube TV on an Apple TV will soon be able to do so natively, without AirPlay, a YouTube representative said on Thursday.

A promised tvOS app is "coming very soon," the representative explained to CNET. Today marks the launch of a native Roku app, with access to standard features such as recommendations, a program guide, and cloud DVR functions.

Google was originally aiming at a 2017 Apple TV launch, but in December admitted that it would miss that window.

A native Apple TV client should provide a true "lean back" experience, whereas AirPlay requires that people push content from their iOS device.

Unlike the regular version of YouTube, YouTube TV is a live, U.S.-only TV service costing $35 per month. It was initially available on just a handful of platforms, but can now be watched via options ranging from iOS and Android through to the Xbox One and some LG, Sony, and Samsung TVs.

The service's channel bundle is mostly focused on the major broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox — as well as their associated offerings. It continues to lack content from Turner and Viacom, such as CNN and the Cartoon Network/Adult Swim.

8 Comments

mavemufc 8 Years · 326 comments

About 6 years ago

Wish they’d just give us a better version of the regular YouTube, the current app is poor, much much better on Playstation.

tmay 11 Years · 6456 comments

I'm curious if this will support h.265 4k streaming, though in all honesty, this isn'a a service that I would be interested in anyway.

eightzero 14 Years · 3148 comments

Competition is good. $35 is too much. YMMV.

badflounder 13 Years · 24 comments

eightzero said:

Competition is good. $35 is too much. YMMV.

Compared to what? Over the air? It's not expensive if you are comparing it to other options in the current market. I have issues with YouTube TV, but price is not one of them. In fact, price is probably the most attractive part of it. When I tried YTTV the main issue I had was the sparse channel lineup and poor streaming quality. IMO, DirecTV Now and PS Vue both offer a superior experience, for now. Having local channels in all their markets is a plus for YTTV, however, I need to see CNN and a handful of other channels added, which are all standard on the competition's similar priced plans. YTTV is a good start; hopefully Google continue to build it out.

Soli 9 Years · 9981 comments

tmay said:

I'm curious if this will support h.265 4k streaming, though in all honesty, this isn'a a service that I would be interested in anyway.

I would be nice but I think that’s doubtful.