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What Is Sony’s New Live TV App?
Sony Pictures Television switched on a new Live TV app for PS5 consoles on August 31 2026. It’s a free, ad-supported streaming service (often called FAST, for “free ad-supported streaming television”) that bundles together more than 100 live channels directly on the console’s home screen.
Think along the lines of Pluto TV or Samsung TV Plus, but built natively into the PlayStation ecosystem. There’s no subscription fee, no sign-up wall for basic access — you just launch the app and start flicking through live channels, much like traditional TV, except delivered over the internet rather than an aerial or satellite dish.
The channel lineup reportedly spans news, sport, movies, comedy and lifestyle content, pulling from Sony’s own library as well as third-party partners. Because it’s ad-supported, you’ll see commercial breaks rather than a subscription price tag, which is the trade-off with any FAST service.
Why This Matters for Console Owners
PS5 has slowly become less of a “just for games” box and more of a genuine living room hub. Apps like this push it further into competition with dedicated streaming devices. If you’re used to a Fire TV Stick or a Chromecast for your streaming needs, a built-in live TV option on a console you already own is a neat bit of added value — assuming it eventually lands where you live.
It’s also part of a broader trend of free ad-supported TV growing rapidly, as viewers look for live-style content without stacking up yet another paid subscription.
Is It Available in Ireland?
Not yet, and there’s no confirmed date for when — or even if — it will be.
At launch, Sony’s Live TV app is US-only. Reporting around the rollout suggests Canada is next in line, but nothing has been confirmed for Ireland, the UK, or Europe more broadly. Streaming rights for live channels are typically negotiated territory by territory, so even when Sony does expand, Irish availability isn’t guaranteed to follow quickly — or at all, since local ad markets and licensing rules dictate a lot of this behind the scenes.
If you’re an Irish PS5 owner, checking your console’s home screen or app store won’t currently turn up this Live TV app. If it does eventually arrive here, we’d expect it to be flagged clearly within the PlayStation store rather than appearing quietly.
What Irish Viewers Can Actually Use Right Now
While we wait to see if Sony brings this to Ireland, there’s no shortage of legitimate ways to get free or low-cost live TV here already.
RTÉ Player remains the obvious starting point for Irish content, and it’s genuinely free. Virgin Media Play and TG4’s own player are also worth having installed if you haven’t already. For UK channels, apps like the BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4’s streaming service are widely used in Ireland, though picture quality and access can depend on your setup.
If your issue is less about apps and more about your actual reception — say, patchy signal for Saorview or aerial-based channels feeding into a smart TV setup — a TV aerial signal booster can make a noticeable difference before you even get to the streaming side of things.
Getting the Most from Your Existing Streaming Setup
For households without a PS5, a simple streaming device is still the easiest route into free ad-supported TV. Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Cube, Roku and Chromecast all support various FAST services already, and they’re widely available in Ireland through retailers.
If you’re already on Fire TV and find yourself constantly hunting for the remote, a spare Fire TV remote is a handy backup rather than tearing the couch apart every evening.
The Bottom Line
Sony’s Live TV app is a solid step for PS5 owners in the US, offering a free way to access live channels without adding another subscription. But for now, it’s firmly a US (and soon Canada) feature. Irish PS5 owners will need to keep relying on existing apps and services, and we’ll update this piece if Sony confirms any European rollout plans.
Related guides: Is Peacock Ever Coming to Ireland? · 5 Free Irish Streaming Apps Worth Knowing
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