Google TV has always been a destination for finding content, and now there’s a ton more with the addition of free channels available directly on the homescreen. Here’s everything that’s available.
Rolling out now to all Google TV devices in the United States, there are in excess of 800 free live TV channels that stream everything from news to movies and so much more, all without costing you a dime. Some of these channels are built in, while others are powered by third-party apps.
Google TV free channels: What’s built in
Out of the box, for devices such as Chromecast with Google TV, you’ll get access to 77 total free live channels. These channels require no app installations or extra accounts. Just set up your Google TV device, go to the “Live” tab, and you’ll get all of these channels.
The full list is as follows.
- Ion
- NBC News Now
- Dateline 24/7
- Forensic Files
- Unsolved Mysteries
- Murder, She Wrote
- Ion Mystery
- New: Ion Plus
- Reelz: Famous & Infamous
- FilmRise: Hell’s Kitchen
- Top Gear
- New: FilmRise: Heartland
- Anger Management Channel
- Are We There Yet?
- Antiques Roadshow US
- Deal or No Deal
- Family Feud
- Hallmark Movies & More
- Midsomer Murders
- Newsmax2 (Newsmax TV)
- New: FilmRise: The FBI Files
- New: FilmRise: World’s Wildest Police Videos
- CourtTV
- New: CourtTV Legendary Trials
- Law & Crime Stream
- Paranormal Files
- Divorce Court
- New: Cheaters
- New: Real Disaster Channel
- New: Rig TV
- Today All Day
- Accuweather Now
- NBC New York News
- NBC Los Angeles News
- NBC Chicago News
- Reuters Now
- Sky News
- Scripps News
- New: Yahoo Finance
- New: CBC News Explore
- Cheddar News
- The Price is Right
- New: Family Feud Classic
- Game Show Central
- New: Supermarket Sweep
- Celebrity Name Game
- Impossible – Quiz Show
- Motortrend Fast TV
- Speedvision
- Powernation
- Baywatch
- Classic Doctor Who
- New: Johnny Carson TV
- Family Affair Channel
- Wu Tang Collection
- Alien Nation
- Mystery Science Theater 3000
- Bounce XL
- FailArmy
- The Pet Collective
- Laff More
- Kevin’s Hart Lol Network
- It’s Showtime at the Apollo
- Just for Laughs Gags
- Dry Bar Comedy
- Universal Crime
- New: FilmRise: True Crime
- BritBox Mysteries
- Xumo Crime
- New: FilmRise: Horror
- FilmRise: Action
- MovieSphere
- Shades of Black
- Maverick Black Cinema
- FilmRise: Free Movies
- Xumo Movies
- New: FilmRise: Western
- New: Grit Xtra
- Xumo Free Westerns
- Documentary+
- America’s Test Kitchen
- Lidia’s Kitchen
- The Jamie Oliver Channel
- Tastemade
- BBC Food
- This Old House
- Antiques Roadshow UK
- New: Property & Reno
- At Home With Family Handyman
- Love Nature
- BBC Earth
- PBS Nature
- BBC Home & Garden
- Stingray Naturescape
- Stingray Holidayscapes
- PGA Tour
- World Poker Tour
- PokerGo
- TNA Wrestling
- PFL MMA
- Swerve Combat
- Bein Sports Xtra
- ACC Digital Network
- DraftKings Network
- Outdoor America
- Outside
- Great American Adventures
- OutTV Proud
- Circle
- IHeartCountry
- Stingray Hot Country
- IHeart90s
- Stingray Greatest Hits
- Stingray Remember the 80s
- Stingray Classic Rock
- Stingray Easy Listening
- Stingray Smooth Jazz
- Stingray Soul Storm
- Telemundo Al Dia
- New: Noticias Telemundo Ahora
- Estrella News
- EstrellaTV
- Latino Vibes
- Telemundo Accion
- Telemundo Romance
- Cine Romantico
- Kocowa K-Drama
- Demand Africa
- NBC News South Florida
- NBC News Washington DC
- NBC News Dallas Fort Worth
- NBC News SF Bay Area
- NBC News Boston
- NBC News Connecticut
- NBC News Philadelphia
- NBC News San Diego
Google is constantly updating this list, too, so check back for new additions.
Update 8/19: Over the past few months, over a dozen more channels have been added to Google TV’s lineup. These include more game show, reality, and news channels.
Google TV’s catalog of free channels as of August now contains over 130 channels, up 50 from launch, with 136 total channels. We’ve revised the list above completely to match not only new additions, but also the current order in which Google displays these channels in its guide.
Notably, we also first reported recently that Google TV is soon to rebrand free channels as “Google TV Freeplay.”
What other channels are free on Google TV?
Beyond those 117 built-in channels, Google TV also provides free live channels from a variety of third-party apps. These include channels from:
Channels are all listed together in the same guide, but picking a channel from one of these other providers will launch the associated app, which you’ll need to have installed. Some of those services require an account, but they still won’t charge you.
How to pick your favorite live channels on Google TV
Top comment by JG
I've been telling Google which shows I really like by thumbing them up in order to get better recommendations for the last few years now. It would be nice if I could filter the live grid by Favorite Show rather than Favorite Channel. Any channel that is showing a program I like gets filtered up to the top of the list.
Then the SyFy channel is only highlighted if it is showing a proper sci-fi program and isn't if it's showing wrestling or ghost hunters instead. Or I'm not missing the chance to watch classic Doctor Who episodes just because I haven't had the time to go through the hundreds of channels Google just added to find that one specific channel to mark as favorite... etc....
With hundreds of channels available and no number pad to quickly get between them, Google TV’s “favorite channels” feature really comes in handy. As pictured below, this works rather simply. Find the channel you want to add as a favorite, click on its name, and then a new “Favorites” category will be added to the top of the “Live” tab. This works with channels from any source, paid or free.
Are free channels available on Android TV?
At this time, Google is only offering free live TV channels on Google TV, not on the older Android TV experience. You’ll find Android TV on devices such as the Nvidia Shield TV and other devices produced before 2021. At this point, most devices are running Google TV instead.
However, Google has expressed interest in bringing these live channels to Android TV, but at a later time that hasn’t been confirmed.
We also plan to bring the new TV guide and free channels to eligible Android TV devices later this year.
More on Google TV:
- Chromecast with Google TV 4K update brings January 2023 patch
- Walmart is about to launch a new 4K Google TV dongle for $20
- This is why you shouldn’t buy sketchy ‘Android TV’ boxes – What to look for instead
Originally published 4/28/2023 – Last updated 8/19/2024
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