AppleTV Integration Deep Link URLs - Which Are Working?

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Updated February 16, 2025
Netflix seems to work again, sort of. You can do movies and shows, but not episodes of shows.

Updated October 10, 2024
It looks like the Disney+ ones are working again. It’s entirely possible there was a problem with my AppleTV that was causing the Disney+ issues. I may try some of the others again, although I can confirm that Netflix still doesn’t work.

Updated April 2, 2024

Basically none of the deep links below work anymore except the AppleTV+ ones. As a work around, most apps (notably not Netflix) let you link the app to the TV app, so you can use the TV app deep links to get to the AppleTV description of the show/episode/movie and then click play there to open it on the other streaming app. For Netflix you’re just out of luck.

original post

I’ve finally got a system setup for Kodi to pass deep link URLs to Home Assistant so that the AppleTV integration can open specific episodes or movies. Here are the ones I’ve found that work:

Netflix episode/movie (web site link):
https://www.netflix.com/watch/81587873

Disney+ episode/movie (web site link):
https://www.disneyplus.com/video/afdc98f1-26bf-48d8-8866-af185ba5d5ac

AppleTV+ episode (from share panel in Mac/iOS apps):
https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/in-seldons-shadow/umc.cmc.4tale27biojjpu69b5c22euge

AppleTV+ movie (from share panel in Mac/iOS apps):
https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/spirited/umc.cmc.3lp7wqowerzdbej98tveildi3

Paramount+ shows/movies (from the share link on the iOS app):
https://link.us.paramountplus.com/kLWgjEgkFBb

Netflix movies
https://www.netflix.com/watch/81001887

Netflix show
https://www.netflix.com/title/81591296

In cases where there is stuff after the ? in the URL, I just delete it all. Paramount+ doesn’t seem to support TV show episodes, so you can only get to the show (or movie).

I haven’t been able to figure out URLs for Discovery+, AMC+. Has anyone gotten those to work? Any other services folks can confirm as working (or not working). Hulu does not work.

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I’m interested in this as well. Trying to get YouTube deep link to work and not having much luck.

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Just an update that I figured out Paramount+ and updated the first post.

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Is Netflix still working for you? I can get it to launch the app, but it will not start a show, episode, movie, etc.

YouTube works great.

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5

Nope. Paramount+ stopped working about two months ago. Netflix stopped working a couple weeks ago. They’ve both either changed the way they do deep links or they removed support for deep links out of spite. I spent several hours researching the Paramount+ side and finally just gave up. I haven’t even bothered with Netflix.

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Ok, thanks. I guess I’ll need to try pinning/saving shows on Netflix and use the remote commands (up, left, down, etc) to navigate and see if that works.

Trying to get a “kid shows” randomizer via NFC card scan, lol.

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Can you post how you got YouTube deep linking to work? I keep getting an “Unknown Error”.

service: media_player.play_media
data:
  media_content_id: youtube://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35kwlY_RR08
  media_content_type: url
target:
  entity_id: media_player.living_room_apple_tv
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Looks like how I have it setup. Later today I can construct the actual service call (I’m doing it via NodeRed and NFC tags with tag ID as YouTube URL) and double check.

Maybe check to be sure you have the Apple TV properly authorized and Home Assistant shows as a remote in apple tv → settings → remotes; should see something like “pyatv”.

Also, just to be sure, you’ve got the YouTube app installed on Apple TV, and you’re trying to use actual YouTube videos, not YouTube TV?

10

Thanks for the reply. Everything you stated/asked was correct.

I was able to get it to work after removing the Apple TV and re-adding it to Home Assistant. Not sure what changed other than the entity id is now the numerical id rather than the friendly name…

service: media_player.play_media
data:
  media_content_id: youtube://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35kwlY_RR08
  media_content_type: url
target:
  device_id: 54c648cc09fdd16426d6ae900435495f
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you should still be able to use the entity_id if you want.
I read that entity_id’s are preferred over device_id’s in general.

12

Does anybody got spotify deep links working for apple tv?

service: media_player.play_media
data:
  media_content_type: url
  media_content_id: https://open.spotify.com/track/0L8LOav65XwLjCLS11gNPD?si=X6034tcsRG6V2rg9KKHiHw
target:
  entity_id: media_player.appletv

When I try to run this it shows “unknown error”.

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I’m trying to build the same thing for my kids - an NFC show randomizer. Netflix deep linking isnt working at all anymore, so wondering if you ended up finding a solution to this?

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I have not. In fact, I really need to update the first post, as the only deep linking that works anymore is the AppleTV+ deep links. For services that support the tie in with the TV app (which is basically everything except Netflix), I now use the TV app deep link to get to the episode and then click the play button there so that the TV app can open the other app. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing.

Netflix wants to force you to look at all their suggestions and crap, so the only thing I can do with Netflix stuff is open the app and then navigate around to find what I’m trying to watch. It’s one of the reasons I cancelled my Netflix subscription (the other being the never ending price increases), so now I only subscribe to Netflix a couple months a year to go through and watch the stuff that’s piled up.

1 Like
15

Hello,

wich app do you use for deep link netflix? It’s an app from the tvos store? You say " tv app deep link" its the complete name of the app?

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It’s Apple’s app that has the name TV. There is no way to do it for Netflix though. Netflix doesn’t integrate with Apple’s TV app because Netflix wants you to see all their suggested crap. So the only think I can do with my setup is open the Netflix app automatically for a show the system knows is on Netflix. Netflix deep linking worked for a while, but then they “fixed” that during an update too.

It’s one of the many reasons I dropped my Netflix subscription and now just subscribe for two or three months a year and binge everything that’s come out in the last year that I want to watch.

1 Like
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I understand, thank you for all the details, I will try to use my jellyfin media server, if it works it will definitely replace Netflix

18

Pluto and Disney+ normal web URL’s work just fine:

https://pluto.tv/us/live-tv/65d92a8c8b24c80008e285c0
https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-cac75c8f-a9e2-4d95-ac73-1cf1cc7b9568
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For Spotify, this format has been working for me. You need to use a URI rather than a Spotify URL directly. The play=true parameter makes it autoplay rather than just opening the details.

Unfortunately, this (as of time of writing) does not work with tracks or episodes for some reason. Playlists, albums, artists, and shows all work however (with the annoying caveat that a “show”/podcast starts from the first episode every time).

So your best bet is probably to make a playlist with the track you’d like, and deeplink to that unless someone else finds a way to make links to specific tracks work.

service: media_player.play_media
data:
  media_content_id: spotify:?uri=spotify:album:2lIZef4lzdvZkiiCzvPKj7&play=true
  media_content_type: url
target:
  entity_id: media_player.apple_tv
20

How do you get the deep link for the TV app page? :slight_smile:

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For AppleTV+ shows you can use the TV app on MacOS or iOS for this. Once you find the show, in the list of episodes there will be a menu under the three dots, and one of the options is SHARE EPISODE. From there you have the option to copy the link.

Be aware that the link contains some characters that you probably have to URL encode so that the link can be passed. For instance, ?showID= has to be changed to %3FshowId%3D.

If you have other apps linked to your TV app (like Paramount+), you have to do this from an iOS device that has the TV app and the third party app. The MacOS TV app won’t show you shows from other apps.

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