9to5Google is at it again, sifting through the latest update of the Google TV app for nuggets of information about future projects. This time they’ve unearthed indications that the tech conglomerate’s move into live TV is well underway with at least 50 channels set to premiere.
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The Google TV brand has been incorporating more features ever since transitioning from Android TV in 2021. Its competitors have been increasing their offerings, such as the Samsung Smart TV line expanding their remote gaming infrastructure as well as hosting over 200 ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) channels.
In January, Samsung even won out as the predominant way consumers stream their favorite media. If Google wants its own devices to outpace the smart TV revolution, it’s going to have to make its products more attractive to customers.
As free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels have become an invaluable part of the streaming landscape, 9to5Google has dug through the most recent update code (called an APK) in an APK Insight post, which shows features that are currently in development. While an APK deep dive can show what companies have in mind, it is by no means a guarantee that such features will make it to the final product. Even so, the news gleaned from the site’s most recent investigation specifically states that new users will be able to “Enjoy 50 channels of live TV without the need to subscribe, sign-up, or download.”
While the APK doesn’t list the entire spate of channels, a sample graphic illustrates at least 34 of the 50 possible offerings. The projected Google TV channels, subject to change, include:
- ABC News Live
- America’s Test Kitchen
- American Classics
- The Asylum
- Battery Pop
- CBC News
- ChiveTV
- Deal or No Deal
- Divorce Court
- Dry Bar Comedy
- FailArmy
- Filmrise Free Movies
- Hallmark Movies & More
- It’s Showtime at the Apollo!
- Kevin Hart’s LOL! Network
- Love Nature
- Maverick Black Cinema
- MooviMex
- Nature Vision
- NBC News Now
- Newsmax TV
- Nosey
- The Pet Collective
- Power Nation
- Reelz
- Teletubbies
- Today All Day
- Toon Goggles
- USA Today
- World Poker Tour
- Wu-Tang Collection TV
- Xumo Crime TV
- Xumo Movies
- Xumo Westerns
From what the analysis can discern, Google has a well-rounded opening lineup for its live TV app, but 50 channels are still quite a ways away from the 200 that Samsung includes with its Smart TV apps. With free and/or lower-priced AVOD and FAST services becoming increasingly popular streaming options compared to premium, paid subscription services such as Netflix and Disney+ — which not coincidentally are branching off with their own discounted AVOD tiers — it’s no wonder that Google wants to get in on the ad-supported revenue action.
Google has already made other improvements to its TV app, recently simplifying the initial setup by making it much easier for new users to connect with their streaming accounts as well as introducing the much-awaited “individual profile” feature it had been promising for months. Access to movies and shows has been moved from the Play store to its proprietary TV app as well, streamlining how Google account users access their content.
As the tech giant invests more heavily in its TV operating system, the introduction of free channels to the Google TV lineup will undoubtedly be an inevitable and welcome addition to the streaming landscape for many customers looking for content without having to pay ever-increasing subscription prices.