Rolling into its 100th anniversary, the NFL and Pluto TV have reached a unique agreement to launch the NFL Channel, a veritable vault channel “celebrating the NFL’s iconic and classic moments spanning over a decade of past seasons.”
Pluto TV is a free streaming service and app, with a significant portion of its programming (from over 150 networks/channels) coming from syndication and deep-reserve offerings in sports, children’s shows, and news. With that foundation, the NFL Channel won’t look like NFL Network, per the official press release, meaning there will be no live look into the latest NFL news.
The NFL Channel on Pluto TV
On top of the use of NFL Films and NFL Media properties, the now-live Channel 465 will “include programming such as previous seasons of the award-winning Hard Knocks series, team-specific season recaps dating back over a decade, and replays of classic NFL matchups.” It will unclog NFL Network’s bandwidth, allowing the channel to push into new projects with its archives now living on Pluto.
“The addition of The NFL Channel on Pluto TV is a gift to our growing audience, a perfect addition to our burgeoning channel lineup and a testament to our love of the game,” said Amy Kuessner, senior VP of content partnerships for Pluto TV, in the release.
Acquired in January by Viacom, Pluto has 18 million monthly active users. The deal provides the NFL another avenue to expand, while also giving the streaming service a substantial boost in the sports arena.
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As the Daily Dot wrote in its review, Pluto TV is essential for “broke cord-cutters.” Some basics from the review are re-published below.
What is Pluto TV?
Pluto TV is a free internet TV service that provides users with the same sort of experience competitors lie Sling TV or DirecTV Now give. The difference is Pluto doesn’t offer you channels like Food Network or AMC. Instead, its collection of over 100 channels is drawn from sources known (Bloomberg) and upstart (Fight).
How does Pluto TV work?
Beyond the price, Pluto’s best feature is how familiar it is. Utilizing a familiar grid-style channels guide found on cable boxes for the last 20 years makes it easy to jump right into Pluto TV. While most streaming services make most of their money with subscriptions, Pluto TV pays the bills with advertisements that run during their programming. Surprisingly, Pluto isn’t inundated with ads, featuring basically the same amount you would expect on broadcast TV.
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New to cord-cutting? Here are our picks for the best movie streaming sites of 2019 and free live TV apps and channels. If you’re looking for premium services, here’s how to watch HBO, Showtime, and Starz online. Want a specific channel? Here’s how to stream A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC, Bravo, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, CNN, CNBC, C-SPAN, Comedy Central, the CW, Discovery, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, Food Network, Fox News, Freeform, FS1 and FS2, FX, Golf Channel, Hallmark, HGTV, History Channel, HLN, Lifetime, MSNBC, MTV, National Geographic, NBA TV, Nickelodeon, PBS, Sundance TV, Syfy, TBS, Tennis Channel, TLC, TNT, the Weather Channel, Willow, VH1, and NFL RedZone without cable, as well as free movies on YouTube. If you’re on the move, here’s how to watch Fox Sports Go and live stream NBC Sports.