GoKawiil
Tech News
JustWatch, the service that helps users find where movies are streaming, has launched its own platform called JustWatch TV. It offers a selection of free, ad-supported films alongside rentals, plus an ad-free subscription priced at $4 a month or $50 for a lifetime plan that a company spokesperson said would only be available for a limited time.
JustWatch, previously known as a search engine for finding titles on other platforms, has launched JustWatch TV, its own streaming service, in 12 markets including the US, UK, Canada, France, Italy and Australia. The service offers a free ad-supported tier, a $3.99/month ad-free JustWatch TV Plus tier with over 300 titles, and a rental store available initially in five countries, with content from 30 partners including Paramount, Fremantle and New Regency.
Discovery Plus is increasing its subscription costs, with the ad-supported plan rising from $5.99 to $6.99 per month and the ad-free tier going from $9.99 to $11.99 per month. New subscribers will see the higher prices immediately, while current subscribers will be charged the new rates on or after November 12th. This marks the platform's first price hike since January 2025.
Disney has increased prices across several streaming tiers, per Bloomberg. Ad-free Disney+ rises 13% to $21.50 monthly, the combined ad-free Disney+/Hulu bundle climbs $2 to $22, and ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu each move to $12.50; the ad-supported bundle stays at $13. The changes took effect immediately, with new subscribers seeing them on their next bill.
A tech guide identifies seven free streaming services offering both on-demand libraries and live, cable-like channel surfing, all available as apps on most major smart TV platforms. These services are ad-supported, meaning viewers get content at no cost but must sit through commercial breaks.
JustWatch, best known as a guide for finding where to stream content, announced at the Toronto International Film Festival that it will launch its own platform called JustWatch TV in October. The service will offer three tiers: a free ad-supported option, rental/purchase titles, and a paid ad-free subscription, with initial content from Fremantle, Paramount and Bleecker Street. It will launch across the US, UK, Canada, and several European and Oceania markets, with plans to expand further.
An Ampere Analysis report cited by Business Insider found that average ad minutes per hour across major US ad-supported streaming tiers rose 18% between January and August 2026. Paramount+ now shows the most ads at just over nine minutes per hour, while Netflix saw the sharpest percentage jump, climbing from 1.40 to 2.44 minutes per hour, though it still airs the fewest ads overall. Prime Video was the only service among the group to actually cut its ad load during this period.
Sony has launched a free, ad-supported live TV feature built into the PS5's main menu for US users, offering over 100 channels without needing to download an app. Content includes live sports, news, and shows from partners like Fox, NBC, NASCAR, UFC, and Crunchyroll, accessible via a cable-style channel guide. Sony plans to expand the service to Canada and other regions, though no timeline has been given.