There are plenty of free streaming platforms out there these days, including The Roku Channel, Tubi, JustWatchTV, and Pluto TV. However, one of my personal favorites to emerge over the past few years is Plex.
For years, Plex was primarily known as a media server platform that allowed users to host and organize their own personal collections of movies and TV shows. But in 2019, it launched its own free streaming service, and it has grown exponentially ever since. Today, Plex offers more than 50,000 on-demand movies and TV shows that you can stream anytime for free, along with over 600 FAST (free ad-supported TV) channels. That’s enough to rival The Roku Channel’s size, one of the most popular free streaming platforms in the US.
But like other free streaming platforms, Plex is constantly adding more and more free content to keep things fresh, and it’s kicking off November by doing just that.
- notable shows
-
Broadchurch, The Kids in the Hall, The Fall
- notable movies
-
Warrior, A Walk to Remember, Heat, Halloween
- Premium Subscription
-
No
- Originals
-
No
More free channels are landing on Plex
Westerns, motorsports, monsters, and more
According to Cord Cutter News, Plex has just added seven new free live TV channels to its lineup, each offering something unique to viewers.
Several of the highlights include Western Bound, which focuses on classic Western TV shows and movies; Racing America, which explores the world of motorsports in the US with event coverage, races, highlights, and more; Monsters Are Real, which features documentaries and investigations into iconic monsters and unexplained phenomena, such as Bigfoot and lake monsters; and Cosmic Frontiers, which features shows and documentaries covering all things space, including astronomy and space exploration.
Here are all seven of the new free channels Plex has just added:
- Monsters Are Real
- Western Bound
- Racing America
- Metal Rocks
- Soul Flix
- Cosmic Frontiers
- Complex TV
QuizStreaming services
Trivia challenge
From Netflix to Disney+ — how well do you really know the world of streaming?
NetflixDisney+HistoryOriginalsPlatforms
In what year did Netflix launch its video streaming service?
Correct! Netflix launched its streaming service in 2007, initially as a complement to its DVD-by-mail business. It was a modest start, but it would go on to fundamentally reshape how the world consumes entertainment.
Not quite — Netflix began streaming in 2007. The company started life as a DVD rental-by-mail service in 1997, and the streaming pivot a decade later proved to be one of the most consequential business decisions in entertainment history.
Which Netflix original series is credited as the platform’s first major breakout original hit, premiering in 2013?
Correct! House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, was Netflix’s first major original series in 2013. It proved that streaming platforms could produce prestige television that rivalled traditional broadcast networks.
The answer is House of Cards. Premiering in February 2013, it was Netflix’s first big bet on original content and it paid off — the political drama earned Emmy nominations and signalled that streaming was a serious player in premium TV.
In which month and year did Disney+ officially launch in the United States?
Correct! Disney+ launched on November 12, 2019 in the US, Canada, and the Netherlands. It amassed over 10 million subscribers on its first day alone, crashing its own servers in the process.
Disney+ launched in November 2019, specifically on the 12th. The rollout was massive but not without hiccups — overwhelming demand caused the service to experience technical difficulties on launch day, a testament to just how anticipated it was.
Which streaming service produces the long-running reality competition series Survivor?
Correct! Survivor airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+, the service owned by the same parent company, Paramount Global. The show has been running since 2000, making it one of the longest-running reality competition formats on American television.
The answer is Paramount+. Survivor is a CBS production, and CBS content streams on Paramount+, which is Paramount Global’s dedicated streaming home. The show debuted back in 2000 and is still going strong today.
What is the name of the Apple TV+ series starring Ted Lasso actor Jason Sudeikis that premiered in 2020?
Correct! Ted Lasso premiered on Apple TV+ in August 2020 and became one of the platform’s biggest hits. The feel-good comedy about an American football coach managing a British soccer team won multiple Emmy Awards and helped put Apple TV+ firmly on the streaming map.
The answer is Ted Lasso. Jason Sudeikis stars as the relentlessly optimistic American football coach trying his hand at English football. It debuted on Apple TV+ in 2020 and quickly became one of the most beloved streaming originals of its era.
Which company launched a streaming service called HBO Max in 2020, which was later rebranded to simply Max?
Correct! WarnerMedia launched HBO Max in May 2020, bringing together HBO content with a wider library of Warner Bros. films and TV shows. After the merger with Discovery, it was rebranded as Max in 2023.
The answer is WarnerMedia. HBO Max launched in May 2020 under WarnerMedia’s ownership, consolidating HBO’s premium content with a broader entertainment library. Following the Discovery merger, the platform was rebranded as simply Max in 2023.
Which country produced the Netflix original series Squid Game, which became a global phenomenon in 2021?
Correct! Squid Game is a South Korean survival drama that became Netflix’s most-watched series ever upon release in September 2021. It smashed viewing records in 94 countries and sparked worldwide conversations about wealth inequality and desperation.
Squid Game was made in South Korea. Released in September 2021, this Korean-language survival thriller became Netflix’s most-watched original series ever, proving definitively that audiences around the world will embrace subtitled foreign-language content when the story is compelling enough.
Which streaming platform is home to The Handmaid’s Tale, based on Margaret Atwood’s novel?
Correct! The Handmaid’s Tale has been a flagship original series for Hulu since it premiered in 2017. It became the first streaming series ever to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, a landmark moment for the entire streaming industry.
The answer is Hulu. The Handmaid’s Tale has been one of Hulu’s most prestigious originals since 2017. Its Emmy win for Outstanding Drama Series that same year was a watershed moment, marking the first time a streaming-only show had claimed that top prize.
Your Score
/ 8
Thanks for playing!
How to find these free channels and more on Plex
Plex is available on most smart TVs and streaming devices
If you want to check out any of the new channels Plex has just added, it’s incredibly easy to do.
For starters, Plex is available on most smart TVs, including Samsung, LG, Hisense, Sony, and Vizio, as well as streaming devices and platforms such as Google TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku. You can also download the Plex app on iOS and Android.
Once you’ve downloaded and opened Plex, you’ll find its free content in two places: the Live TV and On Demand sections, both of which are accessible from the side menu.
Live TV is where you’ll find all of Plex’s more than 600 free live TV channels, including its latest additions.
On Demand, meanwhile, is where you’ll find Plex’s library of free movies and TV shows that you can stream anytime, along with content that’s available to rent. As I mentioned earlier, Plex has over 50,000 TV shows and movies available on demand for free, so I recommend scrolling through it and seeing if anything piques your interest.
Plex also has a search feature, so if you’re wondering whether one of your favorite shows or movies is available, it’s an easy way to check.
Overall, Plex already has a ton of free content, and its library keeps growing. So, if you’re fed up with rising streaming costs, it’s a great app to turn to for plenty of movies and TV shows that won’t cost you a dime to watch.
JustWatch also just launched its own free streaming service, JustWatchTV, so if you’re looking for even more new free content, that’s worth checking out too.
