Improving the overall volume of apps available on the platform, Google announced a barrage of new apps that are now available on hardware running Android TV. Bringing the total number of apps to nearly 60 at this point, new apps available on Android TV include HBO NOW, Showtime, CBS All Access, EPIX and Disney Movies Anywhere as well as new sporting apps from the WWE and the UFC.
Of course, there are still some notable standouts from the list such as HBO GO and Vudu. The availability of the new apps is also highly dependent on the device you are using. For instance, only select Android TV devices can access Showtime and HBO NOW apps at the moment. A consumer using a Sony television with Android TV can access those two apps while a consumer with a Nvidia Shield is still out of luck for now.
Speaking about the launch of new hardware that utilizes the Android TV platform, George Audi, the business development manager for Google Play, said “We’re adding to your list of options by welcoming Hisense, TCL, and several other smart TV manufacturers to the Android TV family.” Current manufacturers that support the Android TV platform include companies like Sony, Sharp, Razer and Nvidia.
This announcement also includes the Nexus Player platform. Google was notably silent about the future of the set-top box during the recent Nexus conference, instead focusing on a revision of the Chromecast hardware. Interestingly, several major retailers have been aggressively marking down the Nexus Player as of late to roughly half the original $99 MSRP.
This may be related to competing set-top box hardware coming out from Amazon, Apple and Roku this year. Amazon will actually halt all sales of the Nexus Player at the end of the month, a shift that’s attempting to eliminate sales of products competing against the Fire TV line.
