Optus to close Mobile TV app

Optus will shut down its Mobile TV app next month for what is understood to be commercial reasons.

The app allowed users to access about 20 TV channels on their mobile devices, including ABC or SBS for free, and a range of other channels at daily or monthly subscription rates.

The telco indicated on its website that the service would close on October 28, with no plans to resurrect it.

The closure was first reported by industry magazine Encore, which said the app would be shuttered owing to "lack of customer demand".

An Optus spokesperson confirmed the details of the closure but declined to comment on why it was occurring.

It is understood that the closure is not related to an adverse legal decision that affected Optus' TV Now time-shifting service, which allowed users to record and watch free-to-air TV shows on their mobile devices.

Optus said it would honour Mobile TV subscriptions until they finished, and gave instructions on how to remove the app from devices.