Apple has reportedly acquired second screen TV app experience player Matcha.tv for between US$1m to US$2m. The start-up provides a universal chart gathering together users’ cable TV, streaming and download preference in one place on iOS devices.
VentureBeat reported that in the standard pattern for small companies acquired by Apple, the company shut down its service in May with no explanation despite being ranked in the top 15 entertainment apps in the App Store.
Matcha.tv provides a second screen TV experience on iOS that gives consumers an overview of everything available to watch by cable TV, streaming video services, like Netflix, and in digital stores, like iTunes and Amazon.
Users could manage what they watched on a single queue, as well as interact with social networks to see what friends were watching.
The question is: could such capabilities be the lynchpin of Apple’s eventual physical TV strategy or appear on future versions of the Apple TV set-top box?
In related news, all eyes are on 10 September, when Apple is expected to finally unveil the next iPhone. In addition, it has been reported that in the coming months Apple will unveil its next-generation of iPad devices, including an ultra-light and slim full-size iPad and an iPad mini with a high-resolution Retina screen.
