New code found in the beta version of Apple TV Software 4.3 suggests Apple is considering incorporating sporting events and/or sports-related updates into the Apple TV’s existing content offerings. The code in question was published online by Engadget, which took the repeated use of the word “controller” in strings related to “ATVGames” to mean that Apple is considering an online gaming service. In the parlance of Apple’s development tools, however, the word controller refers to behind-the-scenes software rather than physical game controller hardware, and other references within the beta code appear to confirm this.
Notably, strings related to these controller listings include “calendar,” “games-by-date,” and “standings,” all of which would be relevant to sporting events. Other strings involving “ATVThunder” controllers include “thunder-standings,” “com.apple.appletv.play.live.thunder,” and “.play.archive.thunder.” Based on these strings, it seems more likely that Apple is planning to launch some sort of sporting event service—either live streaming of events, streaming of past events, or both—or a sporting event scoring update/ticker feature. As with all pre-release Apple code, it is possible that these references will be removed in the public release, or may pertain to testing for a planned future service that never materializes.