It looks like a new AI-powered free live TV streaming app is coming to Google TV. Details on ‘Live TVx’ remain a little limited at the moment, but the app was officially launched today. From what Streaming Better can tell, the app isn’t available to download directly on Google TV devices (or from the Play Store). At least, not yet.
Instead, it seems as though OEMs have the option of including the app for users, with the app potentially rolling out as a pre-installed solution on some devices. In fact, Anoki, the company behind the app, states “Live TVx is starting to roll out to select existing and new Google TV and Android TV OS devices in the US,” which would seem to suggest it could be already on route to some devices.
The big selling point seems to be the app’s ability to utilize artificial intelligence to “curate and prioritize channels based on individual user viewing habits.” Apparently, instead of listing channels in the traditional sense, the app will dynamically adjust the channel lineup in a bid to better match the viewer’s habits and behaviors. Whether user’s can manually arrange the channel lineup to their liking remains unclear.
Based on the company’s website, LinkedIn profile, and this Business Insider article, Anoki appears to be focused on the advertising technology (AdTech) market, and that’s notably for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the increase in adoption of free streaming services has made the FAST market a very good sector for ad brands, making the choice of a free live TV streaming app a good one from an advertiser-related perspective.
Secondly, Live TVx’s use of AI promises the ability to display ads that are contextually relevant to the content a user is watching. This is in addition to also displaying ads that are based on the user’s viewing habits, similar to the AI’s suggested ability to dynamically adjust the live TV guide.
As mentioned, the app itself doesn’t seem to be available to download yet, and it remains to be seen if that is going to change. However, with the app understood to be in some form of rolling out, some Google TV users might notice they have suddenly gained access to Live TVx.
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