Smart TVs have dramatically changed our entertainment and informational habits. Be it streaming movies, playing games, or staying informed with the latest news, users nowadays want to have the freedom to enjoy high-quality and interactive experiences directly on their TV screens.
Content creators and businesses are faced with mounting concerns involving the development of a Smart Television (TV) app for their connected TVs and the Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, and Fire TV platforms. But where will you start?
In this guide, we will take you step by step through the whole process of developing a Smart TV app, starting from the choosing of the right platform to deployment and optimization.
For anyone who looks forward to getting into this huge market, this guide is for you.
What is a Smart Television App?
A Smart Television App is a software application designed to run on Smart TVs, allowing users to stream content, access online services, and even control their home automation systems.
These apps function similarly to those found on smartphones and tablets but are optimized for a larger screen and remote control navigation.
Smart TV apps come pre-installed on most modern televisions or can be downloaded from an app store specific to the TV brand, such as:
- Google Play Store (for Android TV)
- Apple App Store (for Apple TV)
- Roku Channel Store
- Samsung Smart Hub
- LG Content Store
How Smart TV Apps Work
Smart TV apps function through an internet connection, typically via Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable. They leverage the TV’s operating system (OS), which could be Android TV, WebOS, Tizen, Fire TV OS, or Roku OS, depending on the brand.
The apps utilize cloud-based technology, allowing users to stream content rather than downloading it onto the TV.
Key Features of Smart TV Apps
- Streaming Services – Use of platforms like Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video for streaming.
- Live TV and Sports – For the live television experience without a cable connection, applications like ESPN, Sling TV, and Pluto TV can be used.
- Gaming – A few smart TV apps have gaming services in the cloud, so users can play games through the app.
- Web Browsing – Thoughtfully designed features plus the built-in browser make surfing the internet a convenient experience on the Smart TVs.
- Social Media – Browse applications such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram directly on your TV.
- Smart Home Integration – Use applications such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa to control your home automation devices.
- Video Calling – Skype and Zoom are the names of apps on SMART TVs, which allow users to contact people with video calls.
Understanding the Smart TV App Market
Before diving into development, it’s essential to understand why Smart TV apps are in high demand.
With millions of users cutting the cord and shifting to streaming services, smart TV apps have become the new gateway to entertainment, education, and productivity.
Key Statistics:
- The global Smart TV market is expected to reach $451 billion by 2027.
- More than 80% of U.S. households own a smart TV or a streaming device.
- Popular platforms include Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV.
Reasons Why Business Needs a Smart TV App:
- Reach a growing audience: Streaming services are the future of content consumption.
- Higher engagement: TV viewers spend more time on streaming apps than mobile apps.
- Monetization opportunities: Through ads, subscriptions, and in-app purchases.
However, developing a Smart TV app isn’t as simple as creating a mobile app. There are unique challenges, such as different operating systems, remote navigation, and performance optimization.
Let’s dive into the step-by-step process below.
What Makes a Great Smart TV App?
Designing a Smart TV application is more than just streaming the content you want. It’s more about offering the perfect entertainment experience than the recreational content you are watching.
Essential Features of a Smart TV App
- User-Friendly Interface: The UX should be interactive and simple with a minimalistic user interface.
- Personalization: Give content suggestions that users can manipulate according to their own preferences.
- High-Quality Streaming: Ensure that there is smooth playback for streaming and make sure the resolution is adequate.
- Multi-Platform Compatibility: You need your app to work on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV.
- Monetization Options: Enabling licenses for ads, pay-per-view, or subscriptions.
- Voice Search & Remote Control Optimization: Television interfaces use remotes, allowing control of your accessories with necessary input.
Design Tips for High Engagement
- Increase interactivity of the user interface and also enlarge the fonts and elements, and make it more understandable by using simple language.
- Use color schemes that apply to both TV screen displays; dark and white screens.
- Create a fluid user experience that minimizes the number of clicks users must make to browse the site.
- Seamless navigation with minimal clicks to access content.
How To Develop A Smart TV App?
Step 1: Choose the Right Smart TV Platform
Smart TVs run on different platforms, and choosing the right one depends on your audience and business goals. Here are the most popular Smart TV platforms:- Roku – Roku is one of the leading streaming platforms, ideal for content creators and subscription-based models.
- Apple TV (tvOS) – Best for premium content and seamless Apple ecosystem integration.
- Android TV – Google-powered with access to the Play Store, great for app variety and customization.
- Fire TV (Amazon) – Strong market presence with Amazon’s ecosystem support?
- Do you want to go live with your Smart TV app without stressing over coding?
Step 2: Define Your App’s Features and Functionality
Prior to the start of the development, it is necessary to define the features and functionalities of a Smart TV app. The main products are:
- User-friendly interface: Large text, clear navigation, and simple design optimized for TV screens.
- Content streaming: Users can access on-demand content, live streaming, or both.
- Subscription and monetization options: Subscription-based, ad-driven, or single-time-purchase.
- Voice and remote control compatibility: Make sure that the users can control the TV by voice and by using the remote control easily.
- Cross-platform support: Users can switch their experience from mobile to web to TV without any issues.
Step 3: Choose the Right Development Approach
Building a Smart TV app can be done in several ways, depending on your resources and technical expertise:
- Native Development: Platform-specific code (Swift for Apple TV, Java/Kotlin for Android TV, BrightScript for Roku) should be composed by the developers.
- Cross-Platform Development: With frameworks such as React Native, Flutter, or Xamarin, developers can create an app which would be able to be run on several Smart TV platforms.
- Using OTT Platforms: If you’re video-mindful, then services like TvStartup, Vimeo OTT, and Uscreen among others are capable of creating white-label solutions to make the launch of your app quicker.
Step 4: Develop and Test Your Smart TV App
The development process includes:- UI/UX Design: Focus on TV-friendly layouts, simple navigation, and intuitive controls in order to make a user-friendly app suitable for TV.
- Backend Development: If you have programming expertise or access to a specialized team of developers well versed in the type of Smart TV app you want to build, you can come up with a fully customized app, using the SDKs provided by the Smart TV platform’s Developer Documentation.
At this stage, you will build all the features of your app, like the screens that display your video library and streams, search functions, favoriting functions, subscriber account logins and other aspects of the interface and functionality.
- App Coding: Stick to the rules of the specific platform to be able to encode your app correctly.
Reader's Note
Some Smart TV platforms previously offered DIY app building solutions, like Roku Direct Publisher and Amazon Creator, however these have since been discontinued in 2023 and 2024.
The only reliable way to build TV apps as of 2025 and beyond is to utilize custom SDK solutions, which requires professional development expertise.
TvStartup has launched thousands of custom apps for many content creators, and built a turn key system to make this process simple and easy for anyone to create and manage their own Smart TV apps.
How to Make Your Smart TV App Stand Out?
The Smart TV app market is experiencing fast growth, thus, this point is very important for developers and creators to come up with the differentiating factors of their respective applications.
Here are some key strategies to ensure your Smart TV app gains traction and keeps users engaged.
Optimize for App Store Rankings
- Use a compelling title & description with relevant keywords.
- Include high-quality screenshots and preview videos.
- Encourage positive user reviews.
Optimize for SEO and Discoverability
Just like websites and mobile apps, smart TV apps need discoverability. Use:
- Keyword-rich titles and descriptions in app stores.
- High-quality images and preview videos to attract downloads.
- Social media promotions to increase visibility.
Monetization Strategies
Maximize revenue through:
- Subscription models (Netflix-style memberships)
- In-app purchases (Premium content or features)
- Advertising integration (In-stream video ads or banners)
User Engagement and Retention Tips
- Offer personalized recommendations based on user behavior.
- Send push notifications to inform users about new content.
- Provide regular updates to fix bugs and improve performance.
Video hosting, content management, and live streaming capabilities
A robust Smart TV app requires many video contents and platform to be handled in an efficient manner adding to the seamless experience it offers the user. TvStartup, a platform that provides a complete suite for creators who work in video to be able to:
- Host high-quality videos with reliable cloud-based storage and adaptive streaming.
- Manage and organize video content efficiently through an intuitive dashboard that simplifies scheduling, categorization, and user access.
- Enable live streaming capabilities for real-time audience engagement, supporting multiple devices and platforms.
- Integrate with various smart TV ecosystems such as Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV without technical hassle.
Monetization Options
Smart TV applications offer a lot of money-making opportunities to business owners and content producers. Follow these strategies to reach the best possible profits:
- Subscription Models – Besides monthly and annual plans for unique access to the content that is, for instance, offered then wanted on Netflix or Hulu, offer different packages.
- Pay-Per-View (PPV) – Sell users exclusive rights for premium or special event content.
- Ad-Based Monetization – Put pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ads on the site for the purpose of making money from ad placements.
- In-App Purchases – Offer digital goods like premium content or add-ons for sale.
- Sponsorships & Partnerships – Do branded content or product placement with brands that you will cooperate with for this.
TvStartup provides Smart TV app makers with various monetization opportunities, delivering both flexibility and scalability.
After Approval: Maintaining and Keeping Your Content and App Updated
For your Smart TV app to be always live, regular updates and optimizations are imperative to keep it going.
- Regular Content Updates – Keep your content fresh by frequently adding new videos, live streams, and exclusive offers.
- Performance Optimization – By continuously monitoring app performance, user feedback, and analytics, you improve loading times and user experience concurrently.
- Security & Compliance – Make sure your app passes both platform security standards and privacy rights of personal information enforced by the authorities at all times.
- SEO & Discoverability Enhancements – The metadata, description, and thumbnails need to be search engine optimized, to enhance the ranking of the Smart TV app in the store.
- Stay Aligned with TvStartup – Take advantage of TvStartup’s up-to-the-minute amenities and business trends for your app to stay as viable as the best technology in the field.
Power Your Internet TV with TvStartup
If you’re looking for an industry-leading video CMS tailored for internet TV success, TvStartup is the perfect solution.
With TvStartup, you get an all-in-one platform that offers seamless video hosting, advanced monetization features, top-tier security, and powerful analytics.
Get started with TvStartup today and take your internet TV platform to the next level!