Ahead of Monday’s launch of the sparkling new Apple TV, current users now have access to new apps from CBS, NBC and a new Apple TV-exclusive fashion channel called Made to Measure (M2M). The latter, developed by entertainment company WME/IMG, is Apple TV’s first channel of original content.
The new CBS app will show content from the network’s $6 per month standalone subscription service, CBS All Access, while NBC’s streaming app requires a cable subscription to access the content.
As the first of its kind on the device, the new fashion channel is perhaps the most interesting development. The service will show an inside look at fashion shows produced by WME/IMG, such as New York Fashion Week, as well as launching an original documentary series on designers and trends. The brand’s chief content officer Mark Shapiro called the channel “a natural extension of our business,” noting that WME/IMG currently hosts Fashion Week events in 13 cities worldwide. The ad-supported video brand will be exclusive to Apple TV devices at least through the end of the year, according to Variety.
Bringing CBS All Access to Apple TV means that subscribers will be able to view more than 7,500 episodes of CBS shows, including a vault of old content, as well as new episodes of CBS shows the day after they air. Apple TV users could previously watch CBS News and CBS Sports through the device.
Similarly, the NBC channel offers a wide swath of on-demand episodes of shows including The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Blacklist. This new offering joins affiliate apps from CNBC and NBC Sports on the Apple TV.
Adding support for CBS and NBC — which join dedicated apps from Fox and ABC — is certainly helpful in expanding the Apple TV’s TV offerings, but it doesn’t address what we’re really waiting for: the technology giant’s rumored live TV service. That service, which is still zeroing in on a launch date sometime in 2016, is expected to cost $40 per month.
