While it’s second nature for most of us to access apps via our smartphones, tablets and even on desktop, our TV screens are often not as widely used for this purpose. With an increasing number of brands tapping into Apple TV apps, will this help them to boost their sales and digital presence?

Online menswear luxury retailer Mr Porter has just unveiled its very own Apple TV app, which will be shoppable. This is certainly a milestone for the fashion industry in terms of digital evolution, with only brands such as Burberry so far using the platform earlier this year to livestream its menswear show. This not only allowed viewers to tune into the event, but also check out the brand’s “Acoustic” music films, watch highlights from previous shows, and view beauty tutorials from Burberry’s make up Artistic Consultant, Wendy Rowe. The app has since been added to throughout the year, with new content from shows and events. For Mr Porter, the app will largely feature content taken from the site’s shoppable digital magazine, The Journal, and showcase video tutorials, short documentaries, and “behind the scenes” footage from fashion brands.” With the “See now, buy now” and digital shopping trends exploding this year, we imagine Mr Porter can only benefit from adding an additional digital platform for its users to browse and purchase from.

So how can brands benefit from housing their apps on Apple TV? For Burberry, Apple TV aligned with the company’s strategy to reach its consumers through Apple products. Understanding the reach and relevance of the tech giant, Burberry have in the past partnered with Apple to become the first global brand to have an exclusive channel on Apple Music, while they were also one of the first brands to use the iPhone 5S back in 2013 to share live-streamed videos. And other global brands have also been using Apple TV to trial revolutionary concepts- Just Eat for instance, has pioneered the clever idea of “group ordering” through the platform, enabling friends in the same room to sync their phones to its Apple TV app in order to combine their order. In this way, we imagine similar brands using their own technology with the platform to enhance the user’s home life.

In the social networking sector, Twitter has witnessed the benefits of potentially aligning itself with the Apple brand- just last week, Twitter shares rose 6.8% following reports suggesting that the company’s app might be housed on Apple TV. Twitter has been contemplating the move at a crucial time- this would enable Apple TV viewers the chance to view the company’s live-stream of the NFL’s ten upcoming Thursday Night Football games this month. Displaying live-streamed content on TV makes sense- this is where most viewers would likely watch their favourite shows, as opposed to viewing video on smaller second screens. In this way for Twitter, the potential move makes logistical sense, and also draws on the company’s plans to become a big player in online video. Finally, a move to Apple TV will also give advertisers further incentive to partner with the platform, potentially benefitting from a much larger audience.

Do you use Apple TV? Do you regularly access its apps for shopping and social networking? We’d love to hear about your experiences with the platform, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.