Applicaster Launches Service to Develop Apple TV Apps

LONDON: Applicaster has unveiled a development and deployment service for commercial broadcasters seeking to run apps on the new Apple TV App Store.

The fast-track program will be made available to broadcasters wishing to run on the tvOS platform. Apple’s newly announced Apple TV Store is due to allow developers to create third-party apps and games for the device. The news comes as venture capital firm C4 Ventures joins Applicaster as an investor.

“Our newly formed partnership with C4 Ventures embodies a huge opportunity for the company,” said Applicaster CEO Jonathan Laor. “There are north of 40,000 TV channels going through tremendous transformation these days, which we are now able to serve faster than ever.”

Laor continued: “The much anticipated Apple TV App Store comes at a perfect time for us and for our customers. The future of TV is apps, not only serving new distribution models but also new content experiences. Finally the second screen and the first one unite. This is an exciting moment for us and the industry we have been fortunate to have been leading for several years now.”

"TV habits are changing fast and broadcasters are facing new and critical challenges," said Pascal Cagni, founding partner of C4 Ventures and a former Apple exec. "The new Apple TV takes this even further: tvOS will enable developers to create new experiences, like what we did with the App Store on iOS in 2008. Applicaster’s unique position and track record make it the perfect partner for all organizations who want to launch groundbreaking TV apps.”