Free-to-view TV has been a staple of home viewing for decades, whether it’s watching public broadcast services such as BBC and Channel 4, to platforms such as Freeview and Freesat, as well as ad-supported streaming channels with the likes of Pluto TV.
TV Plus is Samsung’s competitor in the free-to-view market. It features thousands of movies and TV programmes that are available to be streamed direct to your home for free.
This article will dig deeper into the service, explaining where you can get it, which countries it’s available in and what you can watch on this live on-demand service.
What is Samsung TV Plus?
Samsung TVs don’t support Freeview Play by choice. Freeview is the widely available catch-up and on-demand platform supported by the likes of LG, Panasonic, Hisense and other TV brands in the UK.
Rather than follow the same path as others, it paved its own in 2015 and created TV Plus. TV Plus is a FAST (free ad-supported TV) streaming and video service that’s integrated into the company’s Tizen smart TV platform, presenting sports, news, movies and TV channels to the viewer for free.
It’s all streamed online meaning there are no downloads. There’s also no need for a subscription and it doesn’t require an external device, like a video streamer, for access. All you need to do is to turn on your Samsung TV, click the TV Plus icon and away you go.
As of October 2023 it is available in 24 countries, and can be found on a variety of Samsung products (including refrigerators). According to Samsung’s own research, it’s rated third among OTT (over-the-top) services on its own TVs.
What devices is TV Plus available on?
Samsung TV Plus is mainly available on the Korean brand’s devices. That includes TVs manufactured since 2015, (it’s pre-installed on its smart TVs since 2016): smart monitors, mobile and, interestingly, Family Hub refrigerators.
You won’t find it on platforms such as iOS. You can watch on the go as it is available on Android but strictly for selected Galaxy devices that support Android 8.0 (O OS) or higher. Those with smartphones from other Android manufacturers will see a message indicating the app won’t work with your device.
Will it appear on other TV platforms? There have been rumours that Samsung is interested in placing the app elsewhere, but there’s been no further news on that.
Which countries can I watch Samsung TV Plus in?
Current info pegs TV Plus’ availability in 24 countries. Content differs from region to region, with specific programming available in one market but not in another.
The full list of countries where Samsung TV Plus is available is: UK, United States, Spain, Korea, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Australia, Belgium, Finland, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Luxembourg, Norway, India and New Zealand.
Access to the mobile app differs as it’s available in fewer countries. These include:
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Italy
- France
- Spain
- Austria
- Switzerland
What can I watch?
There are around 200+ live channels on the service and what you can watch on Samsung TV Plus depends on where you live.
In the UK channels include CNN, Bloomberg, The Guardian and Reuters for news. In terms of entertainment there’s Baywatch, Pluto TV Drama, Comedy Hub, American Idol, Homes Under the Hammer, Come Dine with Me, and Deal or No Deal (US), The Jamie Oliver Channel. The US has Top Gear US as an exclusive.
Sports include MMA TV, FIFA+, Tennis Channel and Edge Sport, while factual and news programming, as Samsung terms it, has the likes of Homicide Hunter, Rakuten TV documentaries, PBS America, 5 Building Britain, and international news channel NBC News.
America’s Got Talent is exclusive to TV Plus in the UK, while the latest production of Das Boot is available on Samsung 8K TVs in Germany (in actual 8K). German Samsung TV owners also get an exclusive free version of the sports service DAZN that includes live sports.
As of October 2023, UK viewers also have access to DAZN with two new channels in DAZN Women’s Football and DAZN Ringside, with PGA Tour set to arrive later in the month.
Samsung has also partnered with BBC Studios to bring for new tailored channels for the service in UKTV Play Laughs, UKTV Play Uncovered, UKTV Play Full Throttle and UKTV Play Heroes.
In fact, Samsung teams up with partners in each region to provide content. Viewers in Australia and New Zealand able to see shows from the 80s, 90s and 00s under umbrella channel Throwback TV; while those in India get content from the likes of Republic TV, Aaj Tak, Mastiii, Q TV, and Pitaara.
FAQs
No, an account isn’t necessary to view TV Plus but it is useful in the sense that having one allows you to set favourite channels, watch lists and create reminders, which are remembered across devices.
