What’s on TV tonight? Google’s bringing live TV listings straight to Search

By Christian de Looper April 20, 2016

google mobile search ridesharing — Nerify

Looking for something to watch? Instead of turning your TV on and scrolling through badly designed TV listings, you’ll soon be able to simply search for something on Google.

Google today revealed that it would soon be adding the feature to Search, allowing you to search for live TV listings without even having to turn on your TV.

To tell Google what’s at your disposal, you’ll be able to click on the small “Edit provider” button, which Google will use to offer personalized results. Presumably it will also include over-the-air TV channels. All this is in addition to the info for movies and TV that it already offers, with cast information, plot summaries, air dates, and trailers.

The move to offer information about TV shows and movies puts Google in direct competition with the likes of IMDb, which has long been a go-to for cast information and plot summaries.

“… coming soon, Google Search will have live TV listings,” said Daniel Alegre, president of global partnerships at Google, in a blog post. “So now when you’re looking for The Big Bang Theory, we’ll not only show you the apps and sites where you can find the latest episode, but also show which channel you can turn your TV to later in the evening or week to catch it live.”

As you can see, there’s no word yet on when the listings will be available through Search beyond “soon.”

Apart from the more user-based announcement, Google also gave an update on its ad platform, DoubleClick. According to Google, DoubleClick will be getting better at targeting demographics when it comes to live TV. Google will also be automating some of the work for choosing which ads to play during TV breaks, ensuring that “two automotive ads don’t appear in the same commercial break.” Who wants to see one car ad after the other? Not me!

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Christian de Looper

Contributor

Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…

Computing

Vanilla Google Search without AI is being sidelined into a menu

Arrows pointing to the Web filter in the More option in Google search results.

Following the controversial moves to have AI further encroach into Google Search, the company is now adding a way to remove those elements entirely from your results. In a thread on X (formerly Twitter), Google SearchLiaison announced a new filter called Web. The new filter option will only show old-school text-based links and is rolling out to users worldwide today and tomorrow. The filter works like any already available filter, removing any non-web elements, such as images, videos -- and, of course, the new AI Overviews.

Mobile

A new Google Pixel Tablet is coming, but it’s not what you think

Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

It's been almost a year since the Google Pixel Tablet went up for preorder, leading many Android tablet fans to wonder when the inevitable Pixel Tablet 2 will arrive. A new rumor suggests that Google could release a new Pixel Tablet as early as next month, but it's probably not what you were expecting or hoping for.

According to @MysteryLupin on X (formerly Twitter), Google is planning to "relaunch" the Pixel Tablet without the charging/speaker dock included in the box. As you'll likely recall, the speaker dock is the Pixel Tablet's standout feature. You can use the Pixel Tablet on its own as a traditional Android tablet when you want, and when you're done, you throw it on the dock to transform it into a smart display. The idea of Google selling the Pixel Tablet without its claim to fame is an interesting one.

Audio / Video

Hulu with Live TV: plans, price, channels, bundles and more

Hulu with Live TV.

If you’re looking to cut the cord with your cable provider, but want to hang onto linear programming, one of the best cable TV alternatives is Hulu With Live TV. Billed as a Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (MVPD), Hulu With Live TV provides many of the same features you’d find in a premium cable package, like DVR recording. You’ll also be able to access movies and shows that are available through the standard Hulu streaming service. Plus, you'll get Disney+ and ESPN+ on the house.

There’s plenty to learn about Hulu With Live TV, and we’ve compiled all the most salient information into this helpful explainer. And do be sure to check back often: as Hulu With Live TV pricing and capabilities have been known to change in the blink of an eye.