Google Explores the Possibility of Adding a Fitness Component, Video Communication, and More to Google TV

Google TV Director of Product Management Rob Caruso reported that, as of now, Google has a lot of plans in store. Later this year, it’s a possibility that Google TV may get fitness, smart home capabilities, and more.

Other potential strategies include the desire to provide recommendations across multiple services at the home screen level. The company also wants to work more closely with content providers, such as a very big player for Google: Netflix.

Rob told Protocol, “I hope we’ll see some welcome improvements and innovations in the coming months with not just Netflix, but with many partners.” Although Caruso has his lips sealed regarding his meeting with Netflix in August, he did mention that things will get better (whatever that means).

Nowadays, every TV maker and TV OS provider is attempting to provide more capabilities on its giant screens besides, well, what they were invented for. Google is exploring a number of possible uses. Caruso mentioned that in the coming months, the company is exploring the possibility of adding a fitness component which may include both integration of Google’s own services and devices (think Fitbit) and third-party services.

Another area Google is considering is the prospect of better integration of smart-home controls. Caruso hints that the recent changes on Android mobile phones could be used as a potential blueprint.

Google may also bring more video communication to living rooms across the U.S. Zoom is a possible candidate for further expansion, said Caruso.

Although there are no set dates yet, “All of those areas are things that we’re looking at, that we’re exploring, and hopefully bringing out at some point later this year,” he said.

Expanding on Google TV’s free live TV channels has also been an active project, which launched in December 2021 through a partnership with Viacom’s Pluto TV. As of now, streamers have access to 300 free live TV channels. Bringing free live TV to the platform gives people that may not have video subscriptions yet something to watch.

The company disclosed at CES last week that Android TV and Google TV have a combined number of 110+ million monthly active devices in the world. Since last May alone, 30 million devices have been added, and a growing number of consumers are using the new Google TV interface. Also, at the trade show, TCL revealed that it is now selling 10 million TV sets with the Google TV UI a year.

With 250 device partners worldwide, including 170 operator partners, the company grows its device footprint. Seven of the top 10 smart TV OEMs, such as TCL, Sony, and Hisense, are making TVs based on Google’s platform.

Caruso said, “Over time, our bet and desire is that the Google TV experience will be the preferred choice for us and our partners that we deploy, but Android TV is still out there, and it is still being deployed, and it’s obviously still supported.”

“Each operator and its customers have different needs,” Caruso added that some operators may choose Google TV while others may prefer a custom UI.