PlayStation Vue is the first virtual MVPD to be integrated into Apple’s TV app, meaning iOS and tvOS users will have easier access to the service’s on-demand and live content.
Sony said that “nationally available channels” and live sports from both national and regional channels are available, according to The Verge. The TV app will redirect users to the Vue app if they choose Vue programming from the app list.
PlayStation Vue landing a spot on the TV app could potentially give it a leg up over its competitors including Sling TV and DirecTV Now, which it lags in terms of subscribers. Sling TV has 2.3 million subscribers, DirecTV Now has 1.8 million and Hulu with Live TV recently passed 1 million.
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Welcome to the Apple TV app, @PlayStation Vue. 🎉
— Apple TV (@AppleTV) October 18, 2018
With a seamless experience and features like Watch Now and Up Next, you will never miss an episode or live game.https://t.co/GckxcyRawF pic.twitter.com/LJaVLAoN5q
PlayStation Vue often is associated with Sony’s game console, but the service operates on plenty of other devices and finds the majority of its viewership on other platforms. In April at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Dwayne Benefield, head of PlayStation Vue, said that more than 70% of PlayStation Vue’s streaming takes place on non-PlayStation devices and that the service is averaging more than five hours of watch time per day, per user.
For Apple, PlayStation Vue is another piece of the puzzle for the company that’s looking to build out its TV app as a one-stop shop for Apple users watching TV. Some time in the next year, Apple is expected to begin rolling out its own slate of TV shows to the TV app.
Although Apple has yet to make any official announcement about how it will distribute its original content, a Wall Street Journal report from last month suggested that the company wants its shows to live on its TV app where they potentially could be bundled with other services like iCloud storage.