Yahoo7 and Apple have partnered on a new unified Video on Demand experience, which allows users to discover and access TV shows and movies sourced from multiple apps, including popular Yahoo7 content brands.

The new TV app has been launched in Australia as part of Apple’s iOS 11 and tvOS 11 release this week. Local Yahoo7 engineering teams have been working with Apple to integrate the platforms and technology, enabling the experience to be realised.

The TV app allows Apple users to connect with TV and movie content from a range of top providers, including Yahoo7 service PLUS7, directly through a single Video on Demand application on Apple TV, iPhone or iPad.

With Australians watching an average of 17.5 hours of long-form video content per week and 59 per cent admitting to binge watching three or more consecutive TV episodes in a single sitting, the demand has never been higher for a seamless and extended viewing experience across devices.

 “At Yahoo7 we’re constantly innovating to remain an Australian leader in Video on Demand and we’re very excited to be working with another innovator, Apple, on this project, which puts us ahead of the curve,” said Paul Russell (above), Yahoo7’s chief technology officer.

Mark Robinson (main photo), director of product at Yahoo7, added: “Our integration with the new TV app on the latest Apple iOS and tvOS is part of our strategy to provide premium content to our loyal audience where and when they want to consume it, as well as reach new audiences with our content brands. It is just one of a number of evolutions to our video content offering in the coming months.”

Key features within the TV app include:

• Watch Now makes it easier to discover content from numerous providers. Watch Now is where viewers will see their collection of available shows and movies from both iTunes and Video on Demand apps. From Watch Now, viewers can then go to Up Next or Recommended to choose what to watch.
• Up Next allows you to continue where you left off, across any device. Users can enjoy the shows and movies they are currently watching, including recent iTunes rentals and purchases — all presented in the order they are most likely to watch first. For example, when viewers finish an episode, the next one will automatically appear at the start of the Up Next queue, as will any new episodes as they become available. At any time, users can simply ask Siri to continue watching a show and immediately pick up where they left off.
• Recommended helps you discover personalised content, recommended based on what you watch. Viewers can explore a selection of curated and trending shows and movies, including collections handpicked by Apple’s curators, and dedicated categories and genres such as kids, sci-fi and comedy.