NBCUniversal said USA Now and Syfy Now, its authenticated TV Everywhere apps for those networks, have been launched on the Xbox One, Microsoft’s new gaming console.
Those TVE apps are the first from NBCU to launch on the Xbox One or any other TV-connected device. Syfy has historically offered access to some short-form content on the Xbox 360, but not the channel’s full-featured, authenticated TV Everywhere app. NBCU has also built SyFy Now and USA Now apps for iOS and Android-based tablets and smartphones, and enables access to its TVE content on Web browsers.
USA Now and Syfy Now provide authenticated consumers with access to content the day after air, along with recent episodes from each network, and full first seasons of some series Specific shows offered via the apps include USA’s Suits, Graceland, Covert Affairs, Rush and Satisfaction, and Syfy’s Defiance, Dominion, Helix, Haven and, of course, Sharknado 2: The Second One, which premiered Wednesday night.
Several MVPDs have TVE rights with NBCU, including Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-verse, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, Cablevision Systems, Suddenlink Communications, Mediacom Communications, WideOpenWest, RCN and Armstrong, among others.
Subscribers to those MVPD customers with Xbox One consoles now have an easier path to those apps. In May, Microsoft announced that it would no longer require users to subscribe to the now more gaming-focused Xbox Live Gold service, which runs $60 per year, for most of the entertainment-focused apps delivered via the platform.
“Part of the goal of NBCUniversal’s TV Everywhere initiative is to give consumers the opportunity to discover our content on a wide array of platforms,” said Alison Moore, EVP and GM of TV Everywhere at NBCU, in a statement. “Connected devices like Xbox One provide new ways for USA and Syfy fans to access the content they love in a whole new way.”
"The launch of Syfy Now and USA Now TV Everywhere apps adds a range of new TV shows and movies to Xbox One, including hit TV series, movies, behind-the-scenes video, original digital content and more," added Mike Nichols, corporate VP, Xbox.
