Google set to add 50 FAST channels to Android TV

Google looks set to become the latest streaming platform operator to get into the FAST game.

According to 9to5Google, code in the latest version of the Android TV launcher app makes reference to the addition of live channels. This seems to confirm reports from mid-2021 that Google was looking to add a live offering to the redesigned Android TV platform (Google TV). 

Specifically, the description for the latest version of the app includes the line “Enjoy 50 channels of live TV without the need to subscribe, sign-up, or download” and refers to these as “Google TV Channels”.

The app also includes a graphic which shows 30 logos for channels including Love Nature, NBC News Now, USA Today and Xumo Movies among others. 

This initial list would indicate that Google’s channel offering will launch for the US market – or at most for international users interested in US channels. It would not be the first time that Google has lasered-in on the US for a streaming service launch, with its cord-cutting YouTube TV service exclusively available in the country. 

The 50 channels that Google will offer is some distance from the hundreds provided by services like Pluto TV and Samsung TV Plus, but it should be a welcome addition for users of Android TV streaming devices and CTVs running the OS who previously had to download third-party apps to access FAST channels.