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Google TV Is Putting More Than 800 Free Channels in the Live Tab

The new offerings join Google TV's existing channels from Pluto TV.

Meara Isenberg Writer
Meara covers streaming service news for CNET. She recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she wrote for her college newspaper, The Daily Texan, as well as for state and local magazines. When she's not writing, she likes to dote over her cat, sip black coffee and try out new horror movies.
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Meara Isenberg
2 min read
live-tab

A look at the Live tab.

 Google

You can explore more free TV options on Google TV as part of an update to the platform rolling out over the next few weeks. Google said it's adding free channels from Tubi, Plex and Haystack News into the Live tab, on top of its existing channels from Pluto TV. The company said it'll now offer more than 800 free TV channels to browse.

Google TV began integrating access to ad-supported television channels earlier this week, according to a Tuesday blog post from Google. The new offerings include built-in channels from Google TV, such as news channels from NBC. There will also be news channels from ABC, CBS and Fox. 

The push to highlight more free channels on Google TV -- the tech giant's platform for Chromecast streaming devices and smart TVs -- could help it stand apart from Roku, Apple and other competitors. In our review of the Chromecast with Google TV HD, CNET's Sarah Lord found the Google TV homescreen to be "cluttered and overwhelming." The new Live tab layout could help make it easier to browse.

In addition to the increased channel offerings, you can now browse channels by topic and genre in the TV guide in the Live tab. The Live tab also lets you see your over-the-air TV channels or a premium live TV subscription from YouTube TV or Sling TV. 

Google in February unveiled other changes to its Google TV interface, including adding four new content pages in the For You tab.

All Google TV devices in the US will be able to access the new live TV setup within the next few weeks, according to the company. For more, check out CNET's review of Chromecast with Google TV HD and the best TVs of 2023.