Google will aggregate live sports streams through the “Live” tab of its Android TV-powered devices with the Google TV interface.
The update, rolling out over the next few weeks, will allow users to find and watch live sports from professional and college spots franchises as they air on channels carried through supported apps, including ESPN Plus, Tubi, YouTube TV and Dish Network’s Sling TV. Supported sports franchises include the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Hockey League (NHL), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), NASCAR and NCAA college sports, among others. (A spokesperson said Google is only officially supporting three sports partners — the NFL, NBA and MLB — but affirmed content cards for other sports franchises might appear from time to time)
A dedicated Sports menu is also rolling out, which will offer an aggregated report of live channels with in-progress competitive events, along with sports-related commentary and highlights from YouTube.
The update is one of several changes coming to Google TV-powered devices, which will also see the “Free TV Channels” button and “Google TV” menu within the Live tab change to “Google TV Freeplay.” Some Chromecast with Google TV devices have already received the update, while other streamers with Google TV should see the update in the coming weeks. Freeplay offers more than 150 content streams from programmers like the E. W. Scripps Company, NBC Universal and FilmRise, among others. The channels are powered by Xumo Enterprise.
Google TV is also incorporating recommendations from the free, ad-supported streaming TV app The Roku Channel, which is available to download for free through the Google Play Store on eligible Android TV and Google TV devices.
