Google announced a slew of new apps now joining its Android TV platform, boosting the total number of currently available apps to nearly 60.
Hardware running Android TV will get new apps such as Showtime, HBO Now, CBS All Access, Disney Movies Anywhere, EPIX and others, as well as new apps from the UFC and the WWE for fight lovers.
Some apps such as Vudu and HBO Go, however, are still notably missing. At the same time, the availability of the newly-added apps varies depending on device. HBO Now, for instance, currently works only with Sony and Sharp televisions running Android TV, not with the Nexus Player, Nvidia Shield or others. Showtime seems to be in the same situation, with only select Android TV-powered devices able to access its app.
Nevertheless, Google still touts that its Android TV allows for more hardware choices and it just added a few more options to the list.
"Android TV is all about choice," Google noted in a new announcement on the Android blog on Thursday, Oct. 1. "Whether you're looking for a new shiny Smart TV or an amazing gaming console experience, you have an abundance of options to choose from - Sony, Sharp, Razer, Nvidia. And today, we're adding to your list of options by welcoming Hisense, TCL, and several other smart TV manufacturers to the Android TV family."
In other words, Android TV currently comes as build-in software in Sony, Sharp, Philips, Hisense and TLC smart TVs, the Nexus Player from Google, or gaming-centric streaming boxes from Razer and Nvidia.
Even with the new additions, however, Android TV still lags behind its cheaper and more user-friendly counterpart, Google's Chromecast. Google remains committed to both platforms and Chromecast seems to be on the rise, but Android TV should see a wider adoption as well.
At the same time, both Android TV and Chromecast face increasingly fiercer competition from Amazon, Roku and Apple, all of which have their own set-top box hardware. Amazon is even said to stop selling the Nexus Player and the Apple TV this month, aiming to sell only its Fire TV line rather than offering competing devices as well.
