Sony Reveals Live TV on PS5, Free With Ads Starting Today
Sony has revealed Live TV on PS5, bringing television free with ads to PlayStation users in the U.S. starting later today.
It's an unexpected announcement for the gaming company that was outlined in a PlayStation.Blog post today. Described as a "free ad-supported experience from Sony Pictures Television," Live TV on PS5 supports more than 100 live channels and what the company promises to be a "growing selection of on-demand entertainment including news, sports, movies, TV shows, anime and more."
Players will be able to access the new live TV feature on their PlayStation 5 devices at an unspecified point later today. According to Sony, all you have to do is navigate to the console's Media tab, select "Live TV on PS5" while signed into a PlayStation Network account, and voila! You can see a 30-second introduction video for the surprise feature below.
Sony did a much better job of detailing the specific entertainment PS5 owners can take advantage of with a full breakdown on its site. You can see everything you need to know below.
- Movies – Free movies across action, horror, sci-fi and more, with channels including MovieSphere by Lionsgate, 50 Cent Action, FilmRise Free Movies, Sony One Horror Hits and Cinevault.
- TV Shows – Fan-favorite programming including Community, The Shield, Hell’s Kitchen, The Walking Dead, Forensic Files, Unsolved Mysteries, Deal or No Deal USA and Fear Factor, plus Ice Road Truckers from A+E’s HISTORY.
- Anime – Anime favorites including Naruto, Sailor Moon, Hunter x Hunter, Death Note and more, including exclusive channels Black Clover and Box Sets channels from Crunchyroll.
- Sports – Sports programming from FOX Sports, NASCAR, NBC Sports Now, UFC and more spanning MMA, football, hockey, motorsports, golf, boxing and soccer
- News & Weather – National, local and international coverage including NBC News Now, Fox Weather, and LiveNOW from FOX
- Creator & Specialty Programming – Programming featuring Hot Ones, Spotify’s The Ringer, Futcrunch, Idle Mode, comedy, action sports, gaming, esports and other creator-led content.
- Additional Programming – Discover gaming and esports, creator-led entertainment, documentaries, podcasts and other specialty programming, including eCLUTCH (exclusive) and more.
Sony, again, assured watchers that Live TV on PS5 will be refreshed with new programming, channels, and more in the future. It's all only available for the U.S. for now, but plans to bring it to Canada, as well as additional regions, are in the works.
"We hope you enjoy this new easy way to discover and watch free entertainment directly on PS5," Sony said.
Sony furthed detailed Live TV on PS5 in an FAQ section for the feature's new, official page. In case there was any confusion here, the company makes it clear: "Live TV on PS5 is completely free." There is no paid subscription, hidden fees, or downloads required, at least for now, so you should be able to log in and watch without issue soon. Both live and on-demand content will be available at launch, too.
It's proved to be an already busy week for Sony. Just hours ago, it announced plans to bring not one but two PlayStation State of Play presentations to viewers later this week. They'll take place back to back, with the first confirmed to feature another look at Final Fantasy 7 Revelation.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).