Sony has begun rolling out free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels to PlayStation 5 consoles in the US, starting today. The move lets PS5 owners watch live and on-demand content directly from the console's media tab, keeping viewers within the PlayStation ecosystem rather than turning to rivals such as Pluto, Roku or Tubi, while potentially generating extra revenue from Sony's existing customer base.

The service offers more than 100 live channels from Sony Pictures Television, spanning films, TV shows, anime, news, sport, documentaries, gaming, esports, podcasts and comedy. Notable offerings include action and horror movie channels, shows such as Community and The Walking Dead, and anime including Naruto and Death Note. Sony says the line-up will be refreshed regularly and plans to extend the service to Canada and other regions, though the launch comes amid ongoing criticism over the decline of PS5 game discs and a recent European licensing dispute that stripped customers of purchased PlayStation Store films.