Out of nowhere, Sony has announced that free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) is now on PlayStation 5, allowing people to watch movies and TV shows for free, in exchange for watching ads.
FAST programming is growing in popularity, and some of the current market leaders include Roku, Tubi, and Pluto, among others. FAST content was already on PS5 through dedicated apps for some of those services, but now Sony is launching its own FAST channel. For its part, Microsoft offers some FAST channels apps like Tubi and Pluto on Xbox as well.
Available on PS5 in the US, the new “Live TV on PS5” comes from Sony’s own Sony Pictures Television. There are more than 100 live channels, as well as on-demand programming spanning news, sports, movies, TV shows, and anime.
Here’s how to access it on your PS5:
- Go to the Media tab:
- Select the Live TV on PS5 icon.
- Select “Sign In With My PlayStation Account” to connect your PlayStation account and start watching.
Some of the content available includes movies from MovieSphere, 50 Cent Action, FilmRise Free Movies, Sony One Horror Hits, and Cinevault. Some of the TV shows people can watch include The Walking Dead, Community, Unsolved Mysteries, and Hell’s Kitchen. Anime programming available on the service includes Naruto, Sailor Moon, and Death Note, as well as some Crunchyroll channels. For sports fans, programming from Fox Sports, Nascar, NBC Sports Now, and UFC are available. There are also news and weather channels, along with “creator” content like Hot Ones and The Ringer programming.
Live TV on PS5 will be updated over time with more channels and content, while Sony said it’s looking to expand it to Canada and other regions later.
FAST is a growing segment of the entertainment landscape. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney and Netflix are also mulling plans for FAST content as well.
Before this, Sony operated the paid live TV service PlayStation Vue, but the company shut it down in 2020 due in part to how expensive it was to operate.
