As had been foretold, Google today announced that it’s integrated Pluto TV — the ad-supported video service from Viacom CBS — into the core Google TV experience. That means you’ll have access to more than 300 free (again, as in supported by advertising) “live” channels in the “Live” tab of the Google TV home screen.
So far, it doesn’t appear to be all that different from the Pluto experience that’s been available on all streaming platforms for the past several years. You’ll still have to have the Pluto app installed, but the channels are surfaced at a much higher level. And to be clear, the integration into Google’s live tab is, indeed, quite excellent. Google’s blog post didn’t mention any sort of compensation either to or from ViacomCBS, but suffice it to say there was some in one direction or the other.
Elsewhere in the Google TV world, you can now get six months of Peacock Premium for free when you activate a new Google TV (or other Android TV device) in the U.S. Following that six-month trial, you’ll have to pony up the $5 a month that everyone else does. It’s worth mentioning that Peacock Premium is what you’ll need if you want to check out the Premier League matches that are exclusive to the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service, as well as other sports.
Google says that the new integration with Pluto TV will be “available on all Google TV devices in the coming weeks.”
One of the most affordable ways to get the new Google TV — to say nothing of being one of the best streaming experiences overall — is Chromecast with Google TV. For just $50 (when not on sale), you’ll get a 4K experience with Dolby Vision, all the apps you could ever want to stream video and games, and all the smarts that Google Assistant offers.
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