Smart TV App Development

We build for Apple TV (tvOS), Android TV, Google TV, Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, and Roku. Each platform has its own SDK, UI framework, certification process, and store. tvOS uses SwiftUI and TVML/TVJS. Android TV and Google TV use the Leanback library on top of the Android SDK. Samsung Tizen uses a web-based stack (HTML5, CSS, JavaScript) with the Tizen Web API. LG webOS uses a similar web-based stack with the webOS SDK. Roku uses BrightScript and SceneGraph XML. We advise on which platforms to prioritise based on where your target audience watches, with US and UK audiences heavily weighted toward Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV.

The '10-foot UI' describes the design constraint of a screen viewed from across the room, navigated by a remote control with directional pad and select button, not a touchscreen or mouse. Text must be large enough to read at distance (minimum 24pt for body, 36pt+ for titles), focus states must be visually prominent so the user always knows which element is selected, and the entire interaction model shifts from tap/click to D-pad traversal. Building a TV app by resizing a mobile or web layout produces an unusable experience. We design and build for the TV context from the start.

Content protection for streaming TV apps requires platform-specific DRM implementations. For Apple TV (tvOS), FairPlay Streaming is the mandatory DRM system, integrated via AVKit and AVFoundation. For Android TV and Google TV, Widevine L1 (hardware-secured, required by most studios) is the standard. Samsung Tizen and LG webOS support both PlayReady and Widevine depending on the hardware generation. Roku supports PlayReady. We implement DRM licence server integration, licence caching for offline playback where the platform supports it, and SCTE-35 ad cue handling for live stream monetisation.

A focused smart TV app for a single platform, core playback, content browsing, user authentication, and store submission, typically runs $20,000 to $45,000. A multi-platform build covering three to four platforms with shared backend and platform-specific UI layers typically runs $50,000 to $120,000. Full OTT TV app with DRM, live streaming, offline downloads, subscription billing integration, and analytics runs higher depending on scope. We scope every project before pricing it and provide a fixed cost before development starts.

Every smart TV platform has its own review and certification process. Apple TV App Store review follows the same guidelines as iOS, with additional checks for TVUIKit and remote navigation behaviour. Google Play (Android TV) requires Leanback UI compliance. Samsung Apps (Tizen) and LG Content Store (webOS) each have their own technical certification criteria. Roku requires a channel certification review covering channel performance, content metadata, and deeplink handling. Certification timelines vary: Apple TV and Google Play typically take one to two weeks; Samsung and LG can take three to four weeks for first-time submissions.

Yes. We sign a mutual NDA before any project discussions begin. This covers your content strategy, platform roadmap, backend architecture, and any proprietary data shared during scoping. All source code is assigned to you on final payment. We do not retain rights to your codebase or reuse your platform-specific implementations for other clients.

We have shipped TV apps for OTT streaming platforms, fitness content providers, eLearning platforms, enterprise digital signage, and community content networks. Our clients are typically established businesses in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada with an existing web or mobile audience they want to extend to the big screen. The common thread is a content catalogue or an experience that genuinely benefits from the lean-back TV context.