Google yesterday unveiled new content partners for its forthcoming Google TV service, promising “a new world of apps available for TV.” In a blog post, the Internet giant noted that “NBC Universal has collaborated with Google TV to bring CNBC Real-Time, an application that allows you to track your favourite stocks and access news feeds while enjoying the best financial news from CNBC directly on the TV screen,” while another deal will see the launch of NBA Game Time, an application that lets users follow game scores in real-time and catch up on the latest highlights in HD. Content agreements have also been struck with Turner Broadcasting and HBO, as well as Amazon Video On Demand (featuring 75,000 titles) and Netflix.

Google said that devices powered by Google TV will launch this month, including Internet TVs from Sony and a set-top box called Revue from Logitech (which is likely to be available before Sony’s inbuilt TV). Announced in May, Google’s widely anticipated Google TV service is a blending of television programming and Internet content that marks another attempt to expand into larger advertising markets. The company is styling its software as a platform for content companies and others to develop TV applications, just as Google’s Android software and Apple’s iPhone and iPad products have spawned marketplaces for mobile device applications. 

 

 

Google’s vision differs from that of some competing offerings, such as Apple TV (launched last week), in attempting to provide access to all content on the Internet, not just select Web offerings that have been formatted for use on TVs. Unlike Apple, Google is also making a huge noise about the availability of apps on its TV service; last month the company said Google TV will support Android Market in early 2011, bringing “tens of thousands” of apps to the service.

Google has set up a developer page for the service and also launched a consumer site.