Apple tests a new feature to watch TV and Sky really needs to copy it

Apple is testing out a revolutionary new way to watch sports on TV, and Sky will need to copy it if it wants to stay in the game. As part of its latest beta version of tvOS 16.5, Apple TV is offering users the option to watch four streams at the same time. Currently, this multi-view test is limited to live sports streamed through the Apple TV app on the Apple TV 4K and lets users watch MLB Friday Night Baseball and the MLS Season Pass.

While Apple has not officially announced the feature yet, some beta testers were able to use it to watch their favourite games over the weekend.

Apple is likely to release this feature in its finished form to all Apple TV users within the next month or so.

Once live, sports fans will no longer need to constantly flip between channels to keep track of all their favourite games.

Experts at 9to5Mac shared footage showcasing how the multi-view feature works. When you watch a live sports game on Apple TV, a grid icon will appear in the corner, which shows you what other games are going on right now.

The feature becomes available when multiple live games are happening at the same time, and you can select up to four games to watch in a four-way split screen.

Once you select the games you want to watch, you can then decide whether you’d prefer a symmetrical grid, where each game is equally sized on the screen, or an asymmetric grid, where one stream is much larger than the other three.

While the feature is limited to the US, and only includes some sports like baseball, rumours suggest that Apple is looking to secure rights to show Premier League football in the UK.

Sky Q, a popular subscription-based television and entertainment service, does have a split-screen multi-view feature, allowing two channels to be open on your telly at the same time.