Nickelodeon and Comedy Central apps come to the Xbox 360

Think Microsoft’s slowing down with the Xbox 360 just because the Xbox One is around the corner? Think again. The company is still out there striking deals to improve its nearly 8 year-old console, the latest being one that brings both Nickelodeon and Comedy Central to the platform as apps.

The Nickelodeon app provides access to on-demand programming from the Nick cable network. This includes popular shows like “Spongebob Squarepants” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Don’t get too excited yet, cord cutters — you’ll still need to have a cable subscription in order to access the content library in the Nickelodeon app. Supported providers include AT&T U-Verse, Hawaiian Telecom, RCN, DIRECTV, Suddenlink and Verizon.

Surprisingly, the Nick app isn’t launching with support for Comcast’s Xfinity service, though Microsoft’s support page says to check back, as more providers are expected to be added.

The Comedy Central app hitting the Xbox 360 today isn’t what you might be expecting. It’s not an on-demand app for the whole Comedy Central network. Instead, it plugs you into the Comedy Central Stand-Up library. Yeah, you won’t be catching up on episodes of South Park or The Daily Show, but there are still thousands of hours of stand-up comedy waiting to be watched. And it doesn’t appear that you need a cable subscription, either.

What you do need for both apps is an Xbox Live Gold subscription, which will typically run you between $50 and $60 per year. Microsoft is still insisting that you pay for this service to gain access to Xbox 360 apps, a practice that looks like it’ll continue on the Xbox One later this year. If you already pay for Live because you play games online, then this requirement won’t be an issue. If you aren’t a Live subscriber, you can catch Nickelodeon and Comedy Central shows on any device that streams Hulu Plus.

Will you be downloading the Nickelodeon and Comedy Central apps to your Xbox 360 today? If you do, be sure to stop back here and let us know what you think of them.