Google TV has been steadily bulking up its lineup of free, ad-supported TV channels (a.k.a. FAST channels) all year, and now you can find all 150 of them under a new home called FreePlay.
This name change was first spotted on the Google TV streamer last month, but it's now showing up across more and more Android TVs. As reported by 9to5Google, customers in the U.S., where these free channels are currently offered, can find the new FreePlay branding under the Live tab on their Google TV home screen on Chromecasts and Android TVs from companies like TCL and Hisense.
The new branding doesn't seem to change anything about how you access Google TV's free offerings, but it's a clear sign that the search giant is committed to going all in on FAST channels. Looking ahead, we could see Google TV fold other types of free media, like movies and TV shows from YouTube or other ad-supported free streaming platforms, under its FreePlay banner.
9to5Mac also reported that Google TV has added another 14 FAST channels to its lineup, including the Ghost Hunters Channel, Ebony TV, Untold Stories of the ER and more, bringing its total library of FAST channels to an even 150. For reference, Google TV offered about 80 FAST channels at launch. The new channels come just a month after Google TV rolled out an additional 10 FAST channels, which added CBC News, Rig TV, and more to its free offerings.
The full list of new FAST channels includes Billiard TV, Buzzr, The Rifleman, Xumo Free Nature & Wildlife TV, The Conners, World’s Most Evil Killer, Untold Stories of the ER, Xumo Free Bollywood & Indian Cinema, Ghost Hunters Channel, Highway to Heaven, Unspeakable, Cook’s Country Channel, Ebony TV by Lionsgate, and FilmRise: The Dick Van Dyke Show.
At the pace it's going, odds are we'll see Google's selection of FAST channels continue to expand — only now they'll be all in one place under the FreePlay banner. That being said, there’s still no information on when they might become available to international audiences. And, of course, along with Google's FAST channels, Google TV also gives viewers access to some of the best free streaming services on the market, like Pluto TV, Tubi, and Plex.
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