Sony is taking a major step in making the PS5 a one-stop-shop for entertainment.
The company announced on Monday that it is launching a FAST (free, ad-supported television) platform natively on the PS5 called Live TV on PS5, which will include a variety of sports channels familiar to users of other FAST platforms.
Per Sony’s announcement and the promotional materials released alongside Live TV on PS5, the platform will include “Sports programming from Fox Sports, NASCAR, NBC Sports Now, UFC and more spanning MMA, football, hockey, motorsports, golf, boxing and soccer.”
As is typical on most FAST platforms, live game programming appears to be few and far between. The trailer for Live TV on PS5 featured Ion, which broadcasts weekly WNBA and NWSL games, but the other sports-focused content will likely be filled mostly with shoulder programming and ancillary content. In addition to the many FAST channels operated by leagues and sports networks, Sony also announced that programming from The Ringer would be featured on the platform.
While this is hardly groundbreaking stuff, it shows that Sony is making a concerted effort to transform its video game console into an all-in-one entertainment center. In much the same way Roku has leveraged its streaming stick as the portal through which millions of households access their favorite streaming apps, Sony would like the PS5 to become the portal by which users access whatever their entertainment of choice is at that moment, be it video games, music, live television, movies, or streaming.
The move certainly makes sense on paper. For many people, their gaming console is the first input they come to when turning on their TV. Adding a FAST platform can keep these users spending more time on their PS5s. And for the sports leagues and networks partnering with the platform, there’s potential to reach new segments of viewers who wouldn’t stumble across their content in their normal course of media consumption.
Seems like a win-win for everyone involved.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.