Rakuten TV is adding four new free FAST channels from NBCUniversal. This will give you more always-on shows to watch without paying for another subscription.
The added selections are ad-supported, meaning ads will play as you watch them.
Below is everything you need to know about these channels:
What is actually launching
The new NBCUniversal lineup is built around four themed channels rather than one mixed channel.
The four channels are:
- Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
- Xena: Warrior Princess
- The Real Housewives
- The Bionic Woman.
What kind of viewer is this launch really for?
This launch will appeal most to three kinds of people. They include:
- People who want more free TV and do not want another monthly bill
- People who like recognizable older shows they can jump into at any time
- People who use streaming in a more casual way and want something already running instead of searching for 20 minutes
Xena and Hercules speak to cult TV and retro action fans. The Real Housewives speaks to reality viewers who enjoy franchise-style comfort watching. The Bionic Woman gives the lineup another familiar classic TV brand. Together, they make the update feel broader than one niche channel drop.
If you mainly use streaming for brand-new originals, this may not feel huge. But if you like free comfort viewing, background TV, or nostalgic channel surfing, this is more useful than it first sounds.
Why Rakuten TV keeps doing this
This launch fits a bigger Rakuten TV push around FAST. In March, Rakuten said it was extending its free ad-supported channels through a distribution deal with Prime Video in Europe. Its goal is to make free content easier to discover inside a widely used streaming platform.
That earlier move helps explain this new NBCUniversal launch. Rakuten is trying to grow its free TV side, not just its rental or purchase business.
Where and how you can watch
Rakuten TV’s Live TV offer is available across a wide range of devices, including:
- LG TVs from 2017
- Samsung TVs from 2017
- Android TV
- Hisense from 2020
- Web
- Mobile web
- Android mobile
- iOS mobile
- Roku
- Fire TV
- Apple TV
The free Live TV side is available without an account on its smart TV app. A free channel launch matters more when the service is easy to reach on the devices people already use.
Hence, this is not a hidden niche app buried on one box. Rakuten TV is pushing its Live TV offer available across smart TVs, streaming devices, web, and mobile.