And then there was one.
As of mid-day Thursday, Charter Communications remained the
only current HBO pay TV affiliate with TV Everywhere rights that had yet to
support authentication of the HBO GO app on the Apple TV box.
DirecTV was not among the initial group of operators
supporting HBO GO on the popular streaming video device, but an HBO spokeswoman
said via email Thursday that the satellite TV service provider is now
authenticating the premium programmer's TV Everywhere app on the Apple TV. A
DirecTV spokeswoman confirmed that the company launched authentication of HBO
for the device on Thursday morning.
DirecTV's support comes on the heels of Apple's announcement
Wednesday that it is now offering direct
access to HBO GO and WatchESPN on the Apple device. Previously, users could
only watch HBO GO and WatchESPN content on the Apple TV via Apple AirPlay, a
feature that lets users wireless stream on-demand content from iOS devices to
Apple TV boxes over Wi-Fi.
With the exception of Charter, all of HBO's TV Everywhere
partners are on board with Apple TV, a group that includes Comcast, Time Warner
Cable, AT&T U-verse TV, BendBroadband, Blue Ridge Communications, Bright
House Networks, Buckeye CableSystem, Cable One, CenturyLink, Dish Network, GCI
Communications, Grande Communications, Mediacom Communications,
Cablevision Systems, RCN, Verizon FiOS TV, Cox Communications (beta),
Suddenlink Communications and WideOpenWest, among others.
Charter was not immediately available Thursday
to comment on if or when the MSO intends to allow customers to authenticate HBO
GO on the Apple TV.
