DirecTV is set to offer a new streaming product in November, the company announced on Thursday during a panel at New York’s Advertising Week event. The media giant will roll out a free ad-supported TV platform called MyFree DirecTV, a free streaming service that will provide live channels and on-demand content nationwide.
Launching Nov. 15, the platform will include content that spans multiple genres like news, sports, entertainment, kids’ shows and lifestyle. Viewers will be able to watch shows like Pawn Stars, The First 48 or Power via the web, a mobile device and select media players and smart TVs. Its functionality will use DirecTV’s You TV interface, which “combines a user’s selected favorites with their most watched content to immediately put programming front and center from the moment the TV is turned on.”
It’s unclear how many channels will be available at launch or whether users will be required to set up a MyFree DirecTV account to use the service. DirecTV did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
FAST services such as Tubi and Pluto TV have seen a surge in interest during the past year, according to Nielsen, with usage that sometimes outpaces paid subscription services like Peacock or Paramount Plus. It’s a market that continues to grow, with entrepreneurs like 50 Cent poised to launch his own FAST channel and Google TV offering an integrated lineup of more than 800 channels.
DirecTV’s latest announcement comes after news that the satellite provider made a deal to acquire its rival, Dish Network.
