From October, Fetch subscribers will have access to a first wave of apps available in Metrological’s App Library, including Acorn TV, iwonder, Vevo, Vimeo, Plex, Kidoodle, The Weather Network, and a rebuilt hayu app.
Additional premium, niche, and localised apps will be added in the coming months.
Metrological offers a global cloud-based Application Platform that allows Fetch TV to integrate apps into the Fetch service.
Metrological has partnered with leading global companies including Comcast, Sky, Liberty Global, Vodafone, and others. Fetch TV has secured rights for Australia and New Zealand.
The Metrological App Store will complement Fetch TV’s native app integration capabilities, and allow Fetch to service the long tail of content available via OTT apps.
Fetch native app integrations to date include Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount Plus, Britbox, Optus Sport, YouTube, YouTube Kids, and the six free-to-air BVOD Apps – 7Plus, 9Now, 10Play, ABC iview, ABC Kids, and SBS on Demand.
Fetch also offers over 50 channels from a range of broadcasters, and a TV and movie store with around 10,000 titles.
Scott Lorson
Scott Lorson, CEO of Fetch TV, said “The launch of the Metrological App Store will open up a new world of content to Fetch subscribers and provide an easy way to access the things they love to watch, all in one place. This latest innovation is another demonstration of the commitment Fetch has to providing a world class aggregation platform, offering value not previously seen in the Australian market.”
Jeroen Ghijsen, CEO of Metrological, said: “We are proud to continue our work with Fetch to provide subscribers with a seamless and unified viewing experience, and even more of the world-class content they crave. Now more than ever, consumers want access to long tail OTT apps, as well as niche and localized content behind one remote, and with the most compelling user experiences in real-time.”
Content providers can leverage the open Lightning Software Development Kit (SDK) for quick app development, with a single app build facilitating distribution to a global footprint of operators. Carrier billing functionality is available in selected apps, enabling users to sign up and pay via their Fetch account.
Adding to the user experience on Fetch is the availability of Universal Voice Search, making it easier for users to find content from across the whole of Fetch, including all the channels, apps and YouTube, with one spoken request.
Universal Search for the latest Metrological apps will be added in the next Fetch production release scheduled for later this year. The new apps will be available on Fetch Mini, Mini 4K and Mighty boxes.
The new Fetch TV apps include:
Acorn TV
Acorn TV curates a world-class library of captivating crime thrillers, addictive dramas, and intriguing mysteries. Stream award-winning shows, exclusive Originals, unmissable dramas, and heart-warming comedies from Britain and beyond.
Key shows include My Life is Murder, Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries, Whitstable Pearl, Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Marple.
The subscription cost is $6.99 per month with a 7-day free trial.
iwonder
iwonder is a documentary and current affairs streaming service, curating the world’s best feature film documentaries and factual content all on one platform. With a vast library of more than 1,000 critically acclaimed, award-winning and festival favourite movies, series and shorts, iwonder marries trending news stories with fascinating and captivating real-life stories about the people and events shaping world affairs, politics, music, culture, religion, sports, art, nature, history, science, technology and much more.
Priced at $6.99 monthly or $69.90 annually and including a 14-day free trial – top documentaries available to stream right now on iwonder include: Tales of the Grim Sleeper – An investigation into the 25-year killing spree of serial killer Lonnie Franklin Jr. and his arrest; The Pickup Game – An inside look at the multi-million dollar ‘pickup’ industry; and Eating Animals – A film exploring the notion of stepping away from the industrial meat farming practices of the past 40 years.
Vevo
Vevo is the world’s leading music video network. Vevo offers music fans across the world a vast array of premium content to choose from, showcasing official premium music videos alongside a constantly developing line-up of live performances and innovative original programming. From your favourite artists and the biggest names in music, to discovering the next big thing, Vevo brings high-quality music video content direct to your screen.
hayu
From NBCUniversal, hayu is the first and only all-reality subscription video-on-demand service of its kind – available in 27 markets globally including Australia.
hayu subscribers can watch on a full array of devices (mobile, tablet, laptop, connected TVs and selected consoles) at www.hayu.com
Shows and episodes are downloadable to watch-on-the-go, including Keeping Up With the Kardashians and its spin-offs – along with The Real Housewives, Below Deck and Million Dollar Listing franchises. The majority of US shows debut on the service the same day as their US launch.
The subscription cost is $6.99 per month with a 7-day free trial.
hayu has been available on Fetch since July 2017. The app has been rebuilt in the Metrological App Store with carrier billing added. Existing subscribers on Mini, Mink 4K and Mighty boxes will need to log into the new app using their current details. The previous version of the app will continue to run on the older Gen 2 Fetch boxes.
About Metrological
Metrological, a Comcast company, enables operators to integrate their TV and OTT content into a single viewer experience. The cloud-based Application Platform delivers a complete product suite for monetisation, onboarding and managing the lifecycle of apps and premium OTT services on any device. Content providers are able to reach over 40 million households across operator networks by adding a single app to the Metrological App Library. Metrological works with cable and telecommunications companies such as Comcast, Liberty Global, Vodafone, NOS, Fetch and Multichoice. Founded in 2005, Metrological is based in The Netherlands with offices in the US and Europe. For more information, please visit www.metrological.com.