Sony's Free TV on PS5: Why It's a Big Deal

Ever wish your PS5 could do more than just play games? Well, Sony just made that wish come true with Live TV on PS5, a new service that gives you over 100 channels of free, ad-supported TV and movies. And according to Sony Pictures TV chairman Keith Le Goy, this is a match made in heaven.

In a recent chat with Variety, Le Goy explained the thinking behind the service. He pointed out that PS5 already has 40-50 million people who are "incredibly engaged" with gaming, but who also love movies and TV shows. So why not give them something to watch when they're not gaming? "That is one plus one equaling a lot more than two," he said.

The service works just like other free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) platforms such as Tubi, Roku, and Pluto. You can watch anything for free, as long as you're okay with sitting through some ads. It's a simple trade-off that's become pretty popular lately.

But for Sony, it's not just about giving gamers more entertainment—it's also a smart business move. Le Goy described this audience as "very hard-to-reach" but also "very attractive" to advertisers. By offering free TV on PS5, Sony can connect advertisers with a passionate, engaged group that might not watch traditional linear TV.

Of course, Sony has tried live TV on PlayStation before with PlayStation Vue. But that was a paid service that cost at least $50 a month, and it shut down in 2020. This time around, Sony is going free—and Le Goy believes the company is uniquely positioned to succeed because it also owns PlayStation. "That's the other thing that Sony has, that frankly a lot of other companies would love to have, is a gaming business and the level of engagement with gamers and gaming fans," he said. "That is what PlayStation has."

So if you're a PS5 owner, you now have a whole new world of free entertainment at your fingertips. Will you be checking out Live TV on PS5? Let us know in the comments!