Apple integrates Fox Now, FX Now and Nat Geo TV into Apple TV universal search [u]

With the new search integration in place, Siri queries for shows like "Bob's Burgers" and "American Horror Story" surface viewing options from the Fox Now, FX Now and Nat Geo apps alongside the usual iTunes, Netflix and Hulu offerings.

A report from MacRumors notes Nat Geo TV is also included, but it seems only select shows are provisioned at this time. For example content pages for "Digggers" and "Dirty Rotten Survival" only include links to iTunes and Hulu.

The change comes one month after what appears to be Apple's opening of the tvOS universal search API. One of the fourth-generation Apple TV's tentpole features, universal search ties in with Siri to let users find specific shows from multiple providers. For example, searching for "Bob's Burgers" returns a dedicated show page with links to iTunes, Netflix, Hulu and Fox Now.

Universal search was limited to iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime and HBO at launch, but later expanded to include PBS and PBS Kids. The results appear even if the providers' tvOS apps are not installed.

Apple initially promised make the universal search API available to third-party developers last October, a month before the fourth-gen Apple TV shipped. Progress has been slow, but companies are apparently starting to graft support onto their respective content databases.

Update: Nat Geo TV support noted.