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NBC will stream 'Sunday Night Football' to your phone in 2018
The end to Verizon's NFL streaming exclusive is already paying dividends. NBCUniversal has cut a deal with the NFL that gives it the rights to stream Sunday Night Footbal through TV Everywhere on smartphones, not just bigger-screened devices like PCs, tablets and TVs. The deal takes effect starting with the 2018 season, so you might not get to watch the Super Bowl on your handset in February. So long as you have TV service, though, you'll at least get to tune into regular season games throughout 2018.
Comcast finally allows HBO, ESPN streaming via PlayStation 4
For those who maintain a cable subscription, one of the (many) annoying aspects is that sometimes channels have streaming apps you can't use, despite being a paying customer. Over the years, Comcast has decided that it's not going to allow customers to use whatever channel's app on one platform or another, but now the PlayStation 4 is off of that list. According to a tweet, owners with Comcast subscriptions can finally log in and use the WatchESPN and HBO Go apps on their game console.
Fox Sports Go is streaming on Chromecast and Roku too
Just in case you need another way to watch college football, Fox Sports Go has launched apps on a few more platforms. There's now an app available for Roku, as well as the ability to stream on Chromecast (at least on Android and from the web, I didn't see an option to do it from iOS yet). Neither platform mentioned support for the 60fps or Multiview Display support that's in its just-released app for the new Apple TV, but if all you want to do is stream a game quickly, they should get the job done.
NBC lays out its streaming plans for Rio 2016
NBC dropped a few more details on its streaming plans for the Summer Olympics, but it's important to first note what won't be streaming live: the Opening Ceremony. The broadcaster revealed that both TV and online will be on one hour broadcast delay (more on the west coast), and justified the decision by saying it wouldn't need to cut any countries out of the intro to fit commercials. As far as the actual sports, they will all be ready for viewing live, on TV or online. If you don't have cable TV you can expect 30 minutes of streaming access on your first visit before being prompted to login, and after that five minutes without logging in (maybe try clearing those cookies).
Comcast isn't letting customers use Starz's video service
Comcast isn't exactly known for playing nicely with outside video services (just ask Roku owners), and that trend isn't letting up anytime soon. Multichannel News notes that the cable giant isn't letting its subscribers authenticate with the TV Everywhere side of Starz' new streaming service, which would let customers watch at no charge beyond their existing TV subscriptions. Comcast is the only big TV provider that isn't authenticating, so it's clear that this isn't a technical hurdle.
Comcast unlocks HBO and Showtime streaming to Amazon Fire TV
Streaming services that use a cable TV subscription have an annoying wrinkle, where sometimes the provider can block them from working in places for apparently no reason at all. For Comcast customers that was the case for HBO Go and Showtime on Amazon's Fire TV and Fire TV stick, but starting today that changes. Like the agreement it reached a few months ago with Roku, Comcast is suddenly playing nice with Amazon's streaming hardware. Unfortunately, that courtesy still does not extend to Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, but according to Comcast it supports over 90 networks across 18 devices and expects that number to grow, so maybe there is hope.
Time Warner Cable's TV app comes to Xbox One
Good news: the TWC TV app is available for the cable company's customers (at least until/unless Comcast swallows it up) to watch TV on their Xbox One. Bad news: For now at least, it's limited to video on-demand only and not live TV -- weird, since it's there for the Xbox 360 version -- so it's not quite ready for you to ditch the cable box entirely. There is of course, always the option of using the HDMI passthrough, but it'd be nice to see full features, and according to Multichannel News Time Warner Cable is working on that. It does support stuff like Kinect voice controls and Snap multitasking, and promises both free and paid options among its content, so if you have the cable company's service plus one of Microsoft's current gen consoles, you should try it out.
NBC is streaming live to iOS and Android, but not 'Everywhere'
ABC was the first big network first out of the gate with a 24/7 live streaming app, but CBS and now NBC are close behind with their own versions. NBC rolled out "TV Everywhere" streaming on its website in December, and tonight it's pushed upgrades on Android and iOS that bring the network channel directly to mobile screens -- but only if you have a participating cable or satellite provider's login. Even that's not enough, unfortunately, since it's only available in areas where NBC owns the local station. Where I live the affiliate (WDIV) is owned by someone else, so the feature is not available until the two parties work out some kind of arrangement.
Comcast's live TV app has doubled its channel count in a year
Cable companies like Comcast have long touted "TV Everywhere" that's available whenever and wherever customers are, but a number of restrictions sometimes made that moniker hard to take. In 2015, its claim being pushed harder by more than just Netflix and Amazon, as competing internet-only TV services like Sling TV and PlayStation Vue will even have some of the same channels. Comcast's Xfinity TV Go app has been trying to change that perception and now the company is announcing it's more than doubled the amount of channels available since it launched a little over a year ago. Recent additions including AMC, Showtime, BBC America, and The Weather Channel have just pushed the channel count up over 70 from the original count of 35 -- and that's expected to keep growing.
MTV adds a live feed to its Android and iOS apps
You've been able to catch up with episodes of Jersey Shore through MTV's iOS and Android apps for around a year. But, if you wanted to gasp along with the action as it was broadcast, you'd have to make an appointment to take over the family TV. Thankfully, the reality channel has updated apps on both platforms to bring a live feed of both MTV and MTV2 to your device (assuming you have a participating pay-TV provider to log in with). That said, we can't imagine anyone persisting with the feature for too long -- those ad-breaks are a lot shorter when you're catching up.
NBC will stream live broadcasts if you pay for regular TV
If you've wanted to (legally) watch NBC's live broadcasts away from home, you're in luck... more or less. The media giant is offering live TV streams on its website starting today, and mobile app viewing is due in early 2015. Unfortunately, it's not the independent service you may be looking for. Unlike CBS and HBO, you'll need a conventional TV subscription (as with WatchABC) to tune in online -- not surprisingly, Comcast (NBC's parent) would like to keep you paying for cable programming. With that limit in mind, this is still big if you've ever wished that you could watch that new episode of Constantine without retreating to the living room.
CBS and Dish reach TV deal that includes Showtime streaming
That was fast. Just half a day after CBS yanked its programming from Dish Network in some large cities, the two companies have reached a deal that puts those channels back in action. They're not revealing the financial side of things, but it's apparent that Dish made some concessions to both get CBS back and bolster its internet streaming plans. The satellite TV provider now has numerous Showtime rights that include Anytime access, TV Everywhere and eventual "over-the-top" (read: internet-only) service, but it also has to turn off AutoHop ad skipping on CBS shows for the first week after they air. That's not so hot if you diligently record The Good Wife on your DVR, but it's good news if you prefer to watch Showtime on your own terms. [Image credit: AP Photo/Julie Jacobson]
Verizon's new FiOS deal will let you watch Comedy Central away from home
Verizon is about to make it much easier to catch The Daily Show when you can't reach your TV on time. As part of a renewed carriage deal, Big Red will let you watch all of Viacom's live channels (including Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon) through the FiOS Mobile app when you're away from home. You'll also have access to all of Viacom's authenticated TV Everywhere services, so you'll get to stream on-demand shows through a wide array of apps and devices. There's more on the way, too. Verizon says the renewal will let it offer a mysterious bundle of "marquee content" nationwide to its wireless customers -- even if they don't have FiOS -- and it expects to roll out "innovative new TV packages" that better match viewers' tastes. We doubt the channel bundle will disappear entirely any time soon but we'd welcome more choices and, hopefully, lower prices. [Image credit: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster]
U-Verse app gets more live TV channels, launches on Amazon devices
AT&T is making U-Verse more appealing with each passing day. After the carrier revealed it would beat Google to the punch on bringing gigabit internet to Silicon Valley, now U-Verse is getting a great deal of fresh content and making its way to additional mobile devices. Aside from launching on Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and Fire HDX, as well as the Fire phone, the U-Verse app today also welcomed over 50 new channels to its catalog of live TV streaming channels. This includes Cartoon Network, CNN, EPIX, ESPN, GolTV, HBO, HGTV, TBS, TNT and Travel Channel, plus many others -- most of which you can watch even if you're away from your home network. All in all, definitely a boost for U-Verse subscribers, and if you aren't, it's at least good to know that U-Verse looks to be a solid choice, especially now that DirecTV is joining AT&T's ranks.
How to watch football (soccer) now that the World Cup is over
Many are referring to the 2014 World Cup as the best of the modern era -- think: since Korea/Japan in 2002. Was it due to the fact it set an incredible amount of viewing records? Or, perhaps, it has to do with how much social networks made the entire experience that much more enjoyable. After all, who could forget all the great memes and Tumblr accounts? The level of play wasn't bad either, with this year's tournament leaving behind formidable memories of great individual (Guillermo Ochoa against Brazil, Tim Howard against Belgium) and team (Germany's 7-1 thrashing of Brazil) performances. There's a reason why the sport is nicknamed "The Beautiful Game." Thankfully, football doesn't stop here. While we wait for the next World Cup, which Russia will host in 2018, here's how you, the new (or old) fan, can keep up with some of the professional leagues from across the globe.
Univision to end free streaming of World Cup games
Many people in the US, even those who don't speak or understand Spanish, have been using the Univision Deportes app to watch the World Cup. To a certain degree, this was due to the fact that Univision's service was completely free for anyone to enjoy, meaning it didn't require any authentication through a cable or internet service provider. Unfortunately, that's all changing as of tomorrow. Starting with the Quarter-Finals, which kick off on July 4th, Univision is set to begin requiring a cable login (from a participating provider) to stream matches leading up to the Final -- something WatchESPN has done since the beginning of the tournament.
CNNx lets you watch only the news you care about
Since you're here, we figure you're pretty comfortable in using the internet to get your news. CNN has noticed that trend as well, and is making the jump to the next generation with CNNx. Initially available as an update for CNN's iPad app but intended for other set-top boxes and CNN.com in the future (no word on Android, iPhone or other mobile platforms, although live streaming is already widely available), it lets viewers skip through any story segments that have aired in the last 24 hours -- unfortunately that doesn't include The Daily Show's takedowns of its coverage, but you can see a screenshot of the app after the break.. That should end the frustration felt when you flip to the channel halfway through one interesting segment, and are faced with sitting through an hour of disaster-of-the-minute coverage to find out all the information. There's more than just video (live or on-demand) too, with related articles, pictures and social media just a click away. CNN is a cable channel though, so you'll need a login from a participating provider (DirecTV, Cox and Verizon FiOS right now, but it will come to all services later this year) to use the TV Everywhere service, just like HBO Go. It's not live in the app store for us to try out just yet, but it will arrive later today. For now, there is a video preview explaining what CNNx is all about -- give it a peek and see if the ability to cherry-pick interesting stories is enough to pull you back into the 24-hour cable news cycle.
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Two years later, DirecTV customers can finally use Roku players to watch HBO Go
Even as HBO Go has launched on new platforms over the years, people who pay for TV service and HBO have occasionally found that their provider won't play along. That's been the case for DirecTV subscribers with a Roku ever since the app rolled out in 2011, but now things have changed. Customers started seeing the change Thursday and now the DirecTV Twitter account confirms subscribers can use their account logins on Roku. The Syfy Now app on iOS also has a fresh update that says it supports DirecTV accounts, while some users say they've been able to login to apps for History, A&E, and Lifetime, although that doesn't appear to be officially available yet. Comcast Xfinity customers are the most notable remaining group still denied activations on Roku and Samsung Smart TVs, although the service does support Apple TV and Xbox 360. Will that ever change? After this move and the recent arrival of YouTube on the platform, here's hoping Comcast, Roku and Time Warner can get together to keep the streak going.
Syfy Now app streams full episodes to iOS today, Android next month
The Syfy for iPhone app is relaunching as SyFy Now, while the old Syfy app for iPad is reborn as Syfy Sync, dedicated solely to the network's second screen ambitions. Why the changes? Now is all about TV Everywhere with streaming of full episodes of Syfy's original series the day after they air and bookmarks that sync across devices with iCloud. This app can't put Alphas back on the air, but it can bring Defiance, Robot Combat League and Being Human to wherever you are, assuming you have a compatible TV provider. At launch, customers with Armstrong, AT&T U-Verse, Cablevision's Optimum TV service, Charter, Comcast's Xfinity TV, DISH, Mediacom, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and Wide Open West (WOW) are ready to go, and others are coming soon. Don't have authentication? The show clips and behind the scenes video previously featured in the app are still available. Syfy's app for Android isn't updated yet (and still isn't ready for the new Nexus 7) but the press release promises Now will launch there in September -- hopefully the network can figure out how to include TV movies like Sharknado 2 in the package by then.
Home Pass lets Comcast subscribers watch streaming videos without logging in
Sure you'd like to watch On Demand content on your computer, but there's that whole tiresome logging-in thing you have to do first. If you subscribe to both Xfinity TV and Internet services, however, that would no longer be an issue thanks to a new feature called Home Pass. As long as customers access the Xfinity website within their home network, they'll be automatically logged in, and will be free to access TV Everywhere content from then on, no password required. Xfinity ran a trial of the service during the London Olympics and March Madness 2013, and have decided Home Pass is robust enough to handle Xfinity's entire video library. While this will initially be available via the web, it sounds like other platforms like iOS, Android and (maybe?) Xbox could get it later as well.
