Hayu reveals next steps

Hayu, the NBC Universal OTT platform, has announced plans to join Apple TV and add the ability to download shows for offline viewing.

The Reality TV service made its debut in the UK and Ireland on March 1, with Australia added later in the month.

At an IBC presentation, Hendrik McDermott, SVP branded on demand, confirmed Apple TV boxes would run a dedicated app later this quarter. Airplay and Chromecast support is already available on the subscription service.

The new offline viewer feature, though already on the roadmap, was expedited following viewer feedback.

“We saw a gap in the market, there’s no all reality service, and were one of the leading production companies with a deep back catalogue,” said McDermott, adding that it wasn’t just women signing up but also men, in larger numbers than expected.

The Virgin TiVo app is performing particularly well, with average session times of over 60 minutes, pointing out the average show is only 45 mins long.