Sony brings free ad-supported TV channels to PS5

Sony has begun offering PlayStation 5 owners in the United States access to free, ad-supported streaming television, known as FAST channels. The console's media tab now includes more than 100 live channels from Sony Pictures Television, alongside on-demand content.

The lineup spans movies, TV shows, anime, news, sports and documentaries. Movie channels include offerings such as MovieSphere by Lionsgate, 50 Cent Action and Sony One Horror Hits, while TV show channels feature titles like Community, The Walking Dead, Deal or No Deal USA, Fear Factor and Ice Road Truckers. Anime fans can access channels showing Naruto, Sailor Moon, Hunter x Hunter and Death Note, unsurprising given Sony's ownership of Crunchyroll. Gaming, esports, podcast and comedy channels round out the offering.

Sony said the PS5's Live TV feature will continue to receive refreshed programming and additional channels, and confirmed plans to expand the service to Canada and other regions.

Context

The move makes commercial sense for Sony, keeping console owners' attention within the PlayStation ecosystem rather than on rivals like Pluto, Roku or Tubi, while generating extra revenue from existing customers. However, the timing draws scrutiny: Sony has recently faced backlash over scaling back physical game disc production, and it also told European customers they would lose access to hundreds of previously purchased movies on the PlayStation Store after a licensing deal expired. Observers have compared the direction to Microsoft's earlier, ultimately unsuccessful, push to position the Xbox One as an all-in-one entertainment hub.