Google announced today that all Android TV and Google TV devices in the U.S. are getting more than 25 new free channels, baked right into the operating systems’ Live tabs. That brings the total number of built-in FAST channels to more than 100, meaning that you’ll be able to watch all kinds of free content without having to download a single thing. It’s all built in.
FAST channels refer to free, ad-supported television and can be individual shows or entire channels of content. Google didn’t immediately name the 25-plus channels, but said they include the BBC and Lionsgate. (You can see a big list of them here.) And that’s on top of the others that were added in the spring, which brings a ridiculous 800 or so channels (more or less) to the platform. Whether they have what you want to watch? That’s completely up to you. But it’s free.
And on the sports front, look for NFL Sunday Ticket to have increased presence on the Google TV home screen, thanks to “full integration.” That’s an unsurprising move given the importance of NFL Sunday Ticket now that it’s moved from DirecTV. The subscription service — which costs several hundred dollars for the full season — allows NFL fans to watch out-of-market Sunday games. It’s not quite carte blanche because blackout rules still apply if a home team doesn’t sell out its stadium, but it’s pretty darn close.
NFL Sunday Ticket is available as part of YouTube TV, or on YouTube proper. The NFL Sunday Ticket price varies a little depending on whether you subscribe via the former, or the latter. The first Sunday to take advantage of NFL Sunday Ticket will be September 10. (The season starts the previous Thursday with Detroit at Kansas City, on NBC.)
And if you subscribe via YouTube TV, you’ll get all the Sunday games in the channel guide, so they’re easy to find.
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