Sony has expanded the playability of its PlayStation Vue pay-TV service beyond its own device universe, introducing a new iPad app for the streaming platform.
According to a posting on Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iTunes store, where the app has been available for download since June 6, iPad-using Vue subscribers can watch live TV, stream VOD, or access the service's cloud-based DVR.
Previously, the service had been confined to owners of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 gaming devices.
PlayStation Vue launched in March in three markets, (New York, Philadelphia and Chicago) offering a selection of 85 channels, excluding ESPN, with packages starting at $49.99 a month.
Along with Dish Network's (NASDAQ: DISH) Sling TV, Vue is the first in a new market for over-the-top-based pay-TV services. A third-party research firm revealed last week that it pegs Sling's user base at around 250,000. However, there aren't any similar metrics for Vue.
Responding to FierceCable's inquiry, a Sony rep said the company had "no information to share" on how many people are currently using the Vue service, or when the platform might expand beyond its finite three-city marketplace.
Also unlike Sling TV, which has delivered a steady stream of new channel additions and device expansion since launching in February, Vue has been fairly quiet.
It was, however, revealed Tuesday that Vue users will have access to Showtime's new standalone programming service.
For more:
- read this iTunes store posting
- read this Engadget article
- read this High Def Digest article
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Showtime standalone service set to launch on Roku, PlayStation Vue
Report: Dish's Sling TV now counts 250,000 paying customers
Leaked Sony emails reveal Comcast's leeriness of PlayStation Vue