Google TV, the company’s smart TV operating system that powers Chromecast devices and various TVs, is today getting a significant update aimed at expanding access to free, streaming TV. The company announced today Google TV will now integrate access to free streaming channels like Tubi, Plex and Haystack News directly in its redesigned Live tab, alongside its existing lineup of channels from free streamer Pluto TV. In this tab, it’s also organizing its own set of now more than 800 free live TV channels, including news channels from NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX, and others featuring shows like “Westworld,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “The Walking Dead.”
The company claims this expansion will make Google TV the platform offering the most free TV channels within one electronic programming guide.
FAST channels, or free ad-supported television, have seen increased consumer adoption in recent months, in part triggered by inflation and the channels’ relative ease of access. Unlike ad-supported video, FAST channels offer a more traditional cable TV-like experience where content is streaming live when you tune in, which may appeal to new cord cutters. Many FAST channel providers also don’t require accounts to begin watching, which makes it easy to get started.
Today, a number of services have adopted FAST channels as a way to reach price-sensitive viewers while still generating ad revenue for the service provider.
These types of FAST experiences can also be a selling point for smart TV platform makers, like Roku or Amazon Fire TV. For instance, Roku’s popular free streaming hub, The Roku Channel, hosts over 300 free live TV channels, in addition to its 80,000+ free movies and TV shows. A TiVo survey last year ranked Roku’s hub as the most popular ad-supported streaming service, with a 21.5% market share among consumers. Amazon’s Fire TV, meanwhile, offers a similar experience with Freevee, a free-streaming hub that also includes free live TV channels. Pluto TV, Xumo, Plex, Crackle Plus, Xperi and others have also long offered FAST content to viewers.