Sony’s live TV streaming service, PlayStation Vue, announced this week it has become the first U.S. pay TV provider to integrate with Apple’s TV app in order to display content*. Until now, Apple’s TV app has featured content from both free and paid on-demand streaming apps like Hulu, Prime Video, HBO NOW, PBS Kids, The CW and others, along with those that require you log in with your pay TV credentials, like ABC, AMC, USA, SYFY, Showtime Anytime and many more.

With the new PlayStation Vue integration, subscribers to Sony’s pay TV service will be able to access all of Vue’s on-demand content across its nationally available channels in the Apple TV app’s Watch Now and Up Next sections.

Live sports, including both national and regional sports networks, will be supported, too, Sony says.

Explains the company, users will be able to search and browse the PS Vue catalog in the TV app, taking advantage of the TV app features like “Watch Now” and “Up Next” to organize their shows, movies and sports. When you find content you want to watch, it will open the stream right in the PS Vue app.

This integration will matter more to those who already subscribe to at least a couple of other streaming services in addition to PS Vue, as the TV app is designed to aggregate content and recommendations from across services in a single place. It works on iOS devices, including iPhone and iPad, and on Apple TV.

PS Vue is one of now several pay TV streaming services, and a rival to YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, AT&T’s DirecTV Now and WatchTV. But it’s been lagging behind on subscribers.

Dish’s Sling TV and DirecTV Now lead the space, thanks to Sling’s early mover advantage and DirecTV Now’s distribution through AT&T’s wireless business. The former had 2.3 million subscribers as of June, while AT&T said DirecTV Now had 1.8 million, as of its earnings report in July. Hulu with Live TV cracked a million subscribers in September, ahead of YouTube TV.

Sony’s PlayStation Vue, meanwhile is just somewhere over half a million. It may have struggled to grow due to its branding, which seems to imply it’s only for PlayStation owners. (It’s not).

Perhaps the company is hoping the closer ties with Apple’s TV app will give its service more visibility.

The integration also arrives just ahead the launch of Apple’s own original content, which could bring more people back to the Apple TV app, further boosting PS Vue’s visibility.

Some PS Vue users noticed the new functionality a week or so ago, but Sony only officially announced the news on Thursday.

*This is different from the ability to connect your TV provider with the TV app. Many pay services/ live TV streaming services/ are available from that setting, including YouTube TV, DirecTV Now and others. 

Apple TV has also supported TV Everywhere apps through that SSO (single sign-on) setting for adding TV providers.

With the PS Vue integration, however, you’ll see PS Vue content – including on-demand and live channels – in the TV app’s Watch Now section and Up Next sections. Here’s an example of what that looks like:

Above: Live channels available

Above: PS Vue is offered as one of the apps you can connect

Above: PS Vue in Up Next

Source: New feed