Vizio has added a new local channel category to its WatchFree+ service along with 20 local news channels from Fox and Gray Television.
WatchFree+ is Vizio’s own streaming app that makes it possible for owners of the company’s TVs to access a selection of on-demand content for free. In addition to the on-demand library, WatchFree+ also offers access to a selection of free live TV channels.
Today, that selection has received a healthy news boost through the addition of more than 20 local news stations. While the service already offered access to select CBS News stations, the new additions open up access to various Fox and Gray Television news stations as well.
In total, 10 Fox and 10 Gray Television local news stations have been added to the WatchFree+ programming guide.
| Fox channels | Gray Television channels |
|---|---|
| WAGA (FOX 5 – Atlanta) – Ch. 945 | WANF Atlanta News First (Independent – Atlanta) – Ch. 961 |
| WTTG (FOX 5 – Washington DC) – Ch. 946 | KTVK/KPHO Arizona’s Family (CBS 5 – Phoenix) – Ch. 962 |
| WJBK (FOX 2 – Detroit) – Ch. 947 | WOIO Cleveland 19 News (CBS 19 – Cleveland/Akron) – Ch. 963 |
| KDFW (FOX 4 – Dallas) – Ch. 948 | WBTV News (CBS 3 – Charlotte) – Ch. 964 |
| WTVT (FOX 13 – Tampa Bay) – Ch. 949 | KPTV (FOX 12 – Portland) – Ch. 965 |
| KTVU (FOX 2 – San Francisco) – Ch. 950 | KMOV4 News (CBS 4 – St. Louis) – Ch. 966 |
| WTXF (FOX 29 – Philadelphia) – Ch. 951 | WSMV4 News (CBS 4 – Nashville) – Ch. 967 |
| WOFL (FOX 35 Orlando) – Ch. 952 | KCTV5 News (CBS 5 – Kansas City) – Ch. 968 |
| KCPQ (FOX 13 Seattle) – Ch. 953 | WFSB Eyewitness News 3 (CBS 3 – Hartford/New Haven) – Ch. 969 |
| KTTV (FOX 11 – Los Angeles) – Ch. 955 | WXIX-TV (FOX19 Now – Cincinnati) – Ch. 970 |
“Through our collaboration with Gray Television and FOX, we make it possible for millions of users to stay connected with their communities with relevant and timely content through our WatchFree+ streaming service,” said Katherine Pond, Group Vice President, Platform Content & Partnerships at VIZIO.
Other local and national news channels that were already available to access through WatchFree+ include CBS News, Cheddar News, FOX Weather, LiveNOW from FOX, NBC News NOW, Scripps News, and WeatherNation, among others.
On the topic of WatchFree+, some Vizio TV users have taken issue with a recent antenna integration update. While the update was designed to make it easier for Vizio TV owners to access their antenna channels through the WatchFree+ app, it also removed their ability to access those same local channels without using WatchFree+.
Even more recently, Vizio unveiled and launched a new Home Screen experience that’s designed to make the viewing and navigation experience more intuitive and easier to use.
