Dish Network became the first pay-TV provider to integrate Netflix’s offering directly into its set-top box, the second-generation Hopper DVR, and now it’s expanding that partnership a step further. Yesterday, the satellite service provider announced it’s bringing Netflix to Joey receivers.
“We’ve received a great amount of positive feedback from our customers since the launch of Netflix on Hopper,” said Dish’s Senior Vice President of Product Management Vivek Khemka. “Consumers love [it.]”
That’s no doubt in part to Netflix’s growing list of exclusive programming. Just since February, the streaming video service has launched a new season of House of Cards and two original series, Bloodline and Daredevil. And besides a bundle of planned content, the company continues to snatch shows out from under network and cable TV — Netflix revived AMC’s The Killing in 2012, and more recently secured the rights to Tina Fey’s The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which was originally bound for NBC.
If you’ve ever used Netflix on the Hopper, you should feel right at home with the Joey app. Pressing the blue button on your Dish remote will bring up an app selection screen. After you’ve launched it and started streaming, you needn’t worry about losing your place in a TV show or movie — a feature Dish is touting is the ability to pick up where you left off on any Hopper or Joey unit.
In an unrelated move, Dish is planning an update to the Hopper that’ll see music video service Vevo join the Hopper’s growing list of applications (that’s also a “pay-TV first,” Dish notes). That grants users access to a free (but ad-supported) library of 140,000 HD music videos and 24/7 streaming pop, country, rap, and R&B channels, content which seems especially well-suited to a living room television.
Joey, Super Joey, and Wireless Joey units will begin receiving the update “within the coming weeks.” No word on Vevo compatibility with Joey yet, but that’ll probably come down the line if Netflix’s progression is anything to go by.
