This effectively turns FAST channels into a free alternative to basic cable.

Most smart TV makers directly integrate these channels into existing program guides, allowing for a seamless transition from live broadcast TV to streamed channels. Roku has added over 200 free channels to its platform, and both VIZIO and Amazon have embraced live channels on their respective devices as well. This success has prompted other TV platform operators to also embrace free linear programming. Samsung alone streams 'billions of minutes' of linear programming via its TV Plus service every month, Samsung Electronics SVP Sang Kim told Protocol last year. For these TV makers, free channels have become an overnight success story.

That approach mirrors the way TV makers like LG and Samsung have integrated free streaming channels into their platforms. On smart TVs, the streaming channels are expected to be presented alongside over-the-air programming that can be accessed with an antenna. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Ĭhromecast owners will likely be able to browse the channels through a dedicated live TV menu, which the company has thus far only used to offer access to paid TV services like its own YouTube TV subscription service.

Free streaming channels could launch on Google TV as early as this fall, but the company may also wait to announce the initiative in conjunction with its smart TV partners in early 2022.

These channels have the look and feel of traditional linear TV networks, complete with ad breaks and on-screen graphics. To achieve this, Google has held talks with companies distributing so-called FAST (free, ad-supported streaming television) channels, according to multiple industry insiders. The company has plans to add free TV channels to Google TV, the Android-based smart TV platform that powers Chromecast as well as select smart TVs from companies including Sony and TCL, Protocol has learned. Google is looking to make its Chromecast streaming device more appealing to cord cutters.

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