TikTok heads for TV
August 7, 2020
TikTok has launched an app on the Amazon Fire TV platform, just as US President Donald Trump threatens a ban and while Microsoft negotiate to buy the company’s US operations.
TikTok has until mid-September to conclude a deal to sell the app in the US to beat the ban, though an Executive Order is already issued banning American companies trading with parent company ByteDance.
The ‘More on TikTok’ app has curated playlists of videos, interviews with TikTok stars and profiles of content creators. TikTok head of global marketing Nick Tran said that the move into TV was “a natural next step” for the video-sharing app.
Microsoft said that it would “move quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, in a matter of weeks, and in any event complete these discussions no later than September 15th 2020.”