Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Redbox launches a free, ad-supported live TV streaming service

By

Redbox, the company best known for its red movie rental kiosks, has launched a free, ad-supported live TV streaming service called Redbox Free Live TV. Available on a limited basis at the moment, you can watch the live streaming service on Apple’s iOS devices and Android device and is compatible with AirPlay casting to devices like Apple TV.

Recommended Videos

In a statement provided to TechCrunch, Redbox said:

Related

Redbox is always exploring ways to bring more content and value to consumers. We’ve begun offering free live streaming movies and TV to a subset of consumers via our website and mobile app, with plans to roll it on more devices in the coming days and weeks. Redbox believes that the future of entertainment is dynamic and consists of the right mix of live and video content, and that’s why we’re building this new ecosystem of free content. The offering complements our new-release kiosk and On-Demand offering with ad-supported catalog content, driving new entertainment occasions, while also providing new ways for Redbox to promote the brand outside of our network.

Redbox Free Live TV doesn’t provide any major broadcasters and has more in common with free on-demand services like the Roku Channel and Plex’s recently launched ad-supported streaming video service. Content plays “live,” which means that you join streams in progress instead of starting them from scratch.

Redbox Free Live TV
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Digital Trends tried a few different livestreams from collections such as The Pet Collective and Now This and found that the streaming quality was very low and not consistent, at least when attempting to view the streams from the Redbox website.

Redbox Free Live TV joins the company’s paid On-Demand video purchase and rental service which launched in 2017. Curiously, even though the company’s DVD and Blu-ray rental business survived the streaming onslaught, its attempt to use its kiosks to rent out video games to the console market was apparently less successful. Redbox ended the rental of video games in December 2019.

Whether Redbox Free Live TV will find watchers remains to be seen. At the moment, it doesn’t appear to have a strongly differentiated content offering and seems to be relying heavily on content from sources like USA Today, TMZ, and America’s Funniest Home Videos. Moreover, it’s hard to see how this content competes with traditional sources of live TV like free, over-the-air HDTV, or even newer services like Pluto TV.

Another growing option for those looking to cut the cord but keep their local network affiliate stations is Locast TV. Now available in 17 major markets, it’s an easy way to get started with live TV streaming.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
What is Amazon Freevee? The free streaming service explained
Amazon Freevee app on a TV.

There is no shortage of entertainment apps to indulge in these days. But services like Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+ all charge a monthly premium to grant users access to movies, TV shows, and other original content. Fortunately, there are several advertising-based video on demand (AVOD) platforms to take advantage of. One of these is Amazon Freevee.

Formerly IMDb TV, Amazon transitioned to the new name in 2022. Home to a large collection of movies and TV shows -- featuring both modern titles and older options -- Freevee is a unique alternative to traditional VOD services. Is the app worth the download, though? We want you to be able to make that decision for yourself, which is why we’ve put together this explainer guide on Amazon Freevee.

Read more
7 great free action movies you should stream right now
Guns are pointed at John Wick

There's nothing wrong with a gripping and compelling Oscar-winning drama that's full of complex characters ... but sometimes you just wanna watch stuff get blown up. You wanna see high-speed car chases. You wanna practically feel the shrapnel fly past your face. Artful films like Oppenheimer and The Iron Claw certainly have their place, but that place isn't here. Instead, we're diving into some of the best action movies you can stream right now for free.

Thanks to ad-supported streaming services like Amazon Freevee, Tubi, Pluto TV, and more, there's a huge selection of great free action movies streaming right now. Whether you want to watch a guns-blazing revenge movie, giant animals attacking unsuspecting victims, or even a kinetic video game adaptation, we've got you covered. So, what are the best action movies streaming right now completely for free? Read on to find out.

Read more
Tubi teams with DAZN for sports as free TV service continues its takeover
The Tubi app icon on Apple TV.

Not that Tubi was exactly lacking for anything to watch, but the free (as in ad-supported) streaming service just added a couple more reasons to keep you glued to your couch. The Fox-owned FAST service (that's short for free ad-supported television) today announced a partnership with DAZN that brings a bevy of sports to platform.

The tentpole addition is DAZN Women's Football. It'll be available 24 hours a day, with "a compelling mix of live and classic soccer matches from prestigious tournaments." Those will include the UEFA Women's Champions League, Liga F, and the Saudi Women's Premier League, among others. It'll be available in the U.S. and Canada.

Read more