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Vizio Adds 20 Local Fox and Gray TV Channels to Its Smart TVs

Users in select cities will be able to access their local Fox or Gray channels through Vizio's WatchFree Plus app.

Sarah Lord Writer
Sarah Lord covers TVs and home entertainment. Prior to joining CNET, Sarah served as the tech and electronic reviews fellow at Insider, where she wrote about everything from smart watches and wearables to tablets and e-readers. She began her career by writing laptop reviews as an intern and subsequent freelancer at Tom's Hardware. She is also a professional actor with many credits in theater, film and television.
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Vizio's WatchFree Plus on a TV

Vizio's WatchFree Plus now includes local Fox channels for some users.

 Vizio

Vizio is bringing local TV channels to some of their users directly through their smart TV operating system. Vizio users in select cities will now have free access to their local Fox or Gray TV channels through Vizio's WatchFree Plus, an app on Vizio smart TVs, the company said Wednesday. 

Vizio users in 10 cities, including Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, DC, will now be able to watch their local Fox stations through WatchFree Plus. Customers in another 10 cities, which include Kansas City, Missouri; Nashville, Tennessee; and Charlotte, North Carolina, will have access to their local Gray Television stations. 

"We are thrilled to partner with VIZIO in launching these local channels on WatchFree Plus," Pat LaPlatney, the Co-CEO of Gray Television, said in a blog post on Wednesday. "From Atlanta to Phoenix to Cleveland, viewers can now stay connected to their local news, weather, and sports, all with the convenience of their VIZIO Smart TV."

Vizio has already partnered with CBS stations in New York City and Los Angeles, along with News 12 in New York, to provide local TV channels to its viewers through WatchFree Plus. The app also includes content from Bloomberg Originals, CBC News, CBS News, CNN RePlay, FOX Weather, LiveNow from FOX, NBC News Now, Reuters, Scripps News, The Hill, USA Today, WeatherNation and Yahoo Finance, among others. 

Vizio's push into local markets could help bolster the appeal of their smart TV system, which was redesigned last month. Most consumers need local channels not only for news and weather but also for local sports and entertainment coverage. Many local broadcast channels are included in cable packages, as well as in some live TV streaming services. Cord cutters can also get local networks for free by using an antenna, though you'll have to pay for the equipment. The inclusion of these channels into a readily available app could be appealing to some users. 

Here's the full list of Fox and Gray TV stations on Vizio's WatchFree Plus: 

Fox channels:

  1. WAGA (FOX 5 - Atlanta) - Ch. 945 

  2. WTTG (FOX 5 - Washington, DC) - Ch. 946 

  3. WJBK (FOX 2 - Detroit) - Ch. 947

  4. KDFW (FOX 4 - Dallas) - Ch. 948

  5. WTVT (FOX 13 - Tampa Bay, Florida) - Ch. 949

  6. KTVU (FOX 2 - San Francisco) - Ch. 950

  7. WTXF (FOX 29 - Philadelphia) - Ch. 951

  8. WOFL (FOX 35 Orlando, Florida) - Ch. 952

  9. KCPQ (FOX 13 Seattle) - Ch. 953

  10. KTTV (FOX 11 - Los Angeles) - Ch. 955

Gray Television channels:

  1. WANF Atlanta News First (Independent - Atlanta) - Ch. 961

  2. KTVK/KPHO Arizona's Family (CBS 5 - Phoenix) - Ch. 962

  3. WOIO Cleveland 19 News (CBS 19 - Cleveland/Akron) - Ch. 963

  4. WBTV News (CBS 3 - Charlotte, North Carolina) - Ch. 964

  5. KPTV (FOX 12 - Portland, Oregon) - Ch. 965

  6. KMOV4 News (CBS 4 - St. Louis) - Ch. 966

  7. WSMV4 News (CBS 4 - Nashville, Tennessee) - Ch. 967

  8. KCTV5 News (CBS 5 - Kansas City, Missouri) - Ch. 968

  9. WFSB Eyewitness News 3 (CBS 3 - Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut) - Ch. 969

  10. WXIX-TV (FOX19 Now - Cincinnati) - Ch. 970