Time Warner’s new app for the Apple iPad proved to be so popular on its first day of release that it crashed.
The new app allows users to watch streaming content on their tablet computers, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Digital communications director Jeff Simmermon wrote on a blog for Time Warner that the app was the most downloaded app from iTunes Tuesday.
“The demand was overwhelming, in more ways than one,” he wrote. “At about 8 o’clock last night the app crashed under a much heavier load than we anticipated. Our engineering team is working as hard as they can to put a fix in place and get everything up and running as soon as they can.”
He apologized to consumers for the “frustration” and said the temporarily solution was to reduce the number of available channels from 32 to 15 until the problem is resolved. The 17 channels were restored later Wednesday.
The free app allows TV and broadband subscribers to watch cable networks including CNN, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel and CNBC live on their iPads. On Tuesday, there were nearly 80,000 downloads, according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported that the app itself has technical issues including audio problems.
“This is a work in progress,” TWC spokesman Alex Dudley said. “We expect to add more channels over time and increase the app’s functionality.”
And while the app appears to have a lot of fans, there are some who don’t like it that much. Of course, we’re talking about Hollywood suits who say that Time Warner doesn’t have the rights to offer streaming content via the new app.
Programming executives at News Corp., Viacom and other companies have complained about the app, the WSJ reported, citing sources. Those executives claim that Time Warner’s existing agreements with their companies don’t give it the right to make live programming available on Apple’s tablet computer.
Said a spokesman for Scripps Networks, which owns HGTV, Food Network and other cable channels: Scripps “has not granted iPad video streaming rights to any distributor and is actively addressing any misunderstandings on this issue.”
Dudley told the WSJ that the cable giant believes its deals with programmers include the right to distribute their content on any media screen inside the homes of broadband network subscribers.
“We figured there would be demand for this, but we’re blown away by its popularity, and we’re pleased that our customers are pleased,” Dudley said. “We’re not surprised that some content companies have issues with this, but the only issue our customers are asking about is why they can’t do this outside their home, and we think that’s really a question for the content providers.”
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