Since 2018, YouTube has offered a collection of free-to-watch movies supported by commercials. The YouTube library in the United States is now expanding to TV shows with nearly 4,000 free episodes.
That equates to 100 shows in different genres from different networks and periods. Google says many are available in 1080p with 5.1 surround sound on supported devices. It is available on the web, mobile apps and “most connected TVs” through the “Movies & Series” section of the sidebar of the YouTube app. In the meantime, the user interface for browsing has been optimized:
To enhance the viewing experience, we unveil brand new streamlined navigation and immersive banner art. The rich pictures and new menus help you find your favorite TV series from the couch, whether you choose to rent, buy or watch ads for free.
When you open a broadcast page, the left pane provides a summary and the “2 ways to watch” selector to switch between “Free” or “Buy seasons and episodes.” The latter sees you buying directly from YouTube, which shares a backend with the Play Store and Google TV.
The collection contains i.a. Hell’s kitchen, Kitchen nightmare, Shrine, Ascension, Midsummer Murder, The Lone Ranger, Dick Van Dyke Show, world War (2019), and Rosemary’s baby (2014). While browsing, we found that not all shows contain the entire season and stop after a few episodes.
If you are a YouTube Premium subscriber, the viewing experience will not be interrupted by advertising.
This joins over 1,500 films from Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate and others. What is available changes every few weeks. Along with TV shows, YouTube will add “up to 100 new titles every week.”
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