According to Janko Roettgers, Samsung is in talks with other manufacturers to bring its Samsung TV Plus streaming app to more brands of TVs, such as TCL TVs.
Launched in 2015, Samsung TV Plus is a free (with ads) streaming (FAST) service that has been pre-installed on new Samsung TVs in recent years. In short, the service offers viewers a similar experience to watching traditional TV, with hundreds of free TV channels.
Of course, Samsung TV Plus also has a wealth of streaming content, with Samsung adding popular shows such as Top Gear, Law & Order Special Victims Unit, NCIS and Chicago Fire last August, and it can also offer a range of local and national news channels, as well as Samsung’s own channels, such as Ride or Drive and The Movie Hub.
Samsung TV Plus currently offers around 1,600 channels in 24 different countries, with an additional 220 channels in the US.
However, it seems that the company intends to license individual channels to other TV manufacturers. Sources told Roettgers that these negotiations “don’t seem to be going anywhere”, so Samsung is instead offering the entire Samsung TV Plus app to third-party TV makers.
It’s worth noting that Samsung has been working for years to expand the reach of its TV Plus, whether it’s for Galaxy devices, the Web or the latest Family Hub fridge.
Manufacturers including TCL, LG and Vizio are known to have their own free streaming apps that are not tied to a specific service provider, including Paramount’s Pluto TV, NBC’s Peacock, Fox’s Tubi, Roku and Amazon Freevee.
Samsung is also looking to turn its TV Plus service into a broader reach app, but it is unclear whether other manufacturers will want to use the app on their TVs.
