BLOOMBERG TV ADDED TO APPLE TO TV — NO PAY-TV REQUIRED

Without going through the usual rigmarole of getting permission from cable and satellite TV that carry it, Bloomberg TV has signed a deal with Apple that brings its financial news programming to Apple TV settop boxes whether or not the user is a pay-TV subscriber. The company says it has been successful attracting viewers via its mobile apps for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets and hopes to repeat that success with the Apple TV deal. Watch ABC was also added to the Apple TV device on Wednesday, but unlike Bloomberg News, the ABC app requires authentication by a pay-TV provider. In addition Apple TV on Wednesday added Crackle from Sony, which delivers hundreds of movies and television shows to connected TV sets via the Internet.