Rewind nearly 15 years, and the landscape of traditional cable television was threatened by the prominence of streaming services. Everywhere, people were figuratively “cutting the cord” and tossing their hard-earned dollars toward subscription services like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and more. Many assumed that “linear” TV (the term given to traditional television programming schedules) would be on its way out for good. This became even more assured when live moments like sporting events started broadcasting at designated times on streaming services. But classic linear TV managed to survive and is now even starting to thrive once again.
Pluto TV, Tubi, and Roku’s free channels emerged, refusing to let linear television die. Suddenly, the streaming service market started feeling a tad saturated, and many lamented dealing with several subscription services that accumulated into a similarly significant “television” bill like the cable of yesteryear. These free channels and services found their audience and succeeded using ad revenue. Sony has now entered the FAST (free, ad-supported streaming TV) market. In fact, Sony’s latest move signals that the FAST model is an attractive pursuit, especially when it’s built around a device many households use.
The PS5 is becoming more than a gaming machine
Everything you need to know about Sony’s FAST program
Live TV on the PS5 began at the end of August. The service brings over 100 live channels to the gaming console. The Live TV service also has on-demand options that include “news, sports, movies, TV shows, anime and more” according to the PlayStation Blog. Accessing this Live TV is simple. Turn on your PS5, go to the Media tab, and select the new Live TV on PS5 icon on your cross-media bar. When you select a service to watch, you may have to select an option that logs you in using your PlayStation account. Once in, you can select from the channels you wish to watch or hop over to the on-demand options. These options, just like other free on-demand services, contain intermingled advertisements throughout the movie’s length.
Currently, this service is only available in the U.S. However, Sony has mentioned that the company has near-term plans to expand to Canada and eventually other regions as well. The media giant also intends to continually support the service with new channels, refreshed content, and other programming options in the future, according to the blog post. While it’s easy to compare this service to other options like Pluto TV or Roku’s free TV, Sony’s Live TV is only on PS5, making it less accessible than its counterparts. However, this is also an effort to create value in the PlayStation ecosystem, granting current owners more reasons to use the console and potential buyers more incentive to snag one from store shelves.
FAST solves one of streaming’s two biggest problems
What to watch?
Shifting focus from linear TV to on-demand streaming “felt” liberating. With Netflix, I could choose what I wanted to watch instead of following scheduled programming. Quickly, this excess of agency posed a new problem for many indecisive viewers. Don’t pretend like you haven’t once spent over 20 minutes simply trying to decide on something to watch. FAST helps limit the decision-making process by returning to the linear TV model. Believe it or not, this can be appealing to many. After all, half the TV shows I watched as a youngster were shows I happened to discover just by watching “what was available.” These free streaming services recognized that there is still a market for that style of programming. Even if late to the game, Sony Television is recognizing this market.
The other problem with streaming is the accumulation of subscription costs. The FAST model isn’t a total return to the days of cable television. Why? Because it’s free. Despite countless ads, cable still required a monthly cost. This model is completely ad-supported and doesn’t require viewers to pay any premiums. It’s also what makes the proposition of returning to linear TV so attractive.
FAST isn’t replacing Netflix, and that’s why it works
Free and paid streaming can easily coexist
Don’t get me wrong, Netflix, HBO Max, Peacock, and the other big subscription services are not threatened by the re-emergence of ad-supported TV. What consumers love are options. FAST simply adds a separate option to the landscape. In fact, many will still be subscribing to Netflix while simultaneously using Sony’s Live TV on PS5 or any other ad-supported option. They are two separate models that serve different purposes. I believe they actually complement one another. Some days, I don’t want to think about what to watch. I just want to plop on my couch, turn on a channel I enjoy while I scroll through my emails. Other times, I specifically want to watch the next episode of Dark Matter on Apple TV.
Free ad-supported streaming TV is here to stay. That much is clear. Sony’s push to add such a service to their premier gaming console proves that the model has legs and will undoubtedly go the distance. At one time, linear TV and on-demand services existed through cable companies. They both still exist now, but have drastically evolved in the streaming era, and they will continue to coexist well into the future.
