The audience that gravitates to games on PlayStation has become notoriously difficult for advertisers to reach. Until now.
Sony Pictures Television on Monday unveiled “Live TV on PS5,” an offering of more than 100 free ad-supported video channels that can all be accessed via the PlayStation 5 console. The service is initially available in the U.S., with Canada expected to follow. Sony expects the package to evolve over time, with new channels, themed programming and live events added as warranted.
Sony, which owns PlayStation, will make the service available via its Bravia television consoles later this year.
In some ways, Sony is offering a lifeline to reach a group of consumers who have been among the first to cut the proverbial cord connecting them to traditional TV services. “When you look at sort of the habits and behaviors of this community, they are gaming and engaging with video and they’re probably not showing up in other connected TV environments often,” says Peter Wood, executive vice president of consumer platforms and services at Sony Pictures Entertainment, during a recent interview.
Sony’s FAST forward move is emblematic of a broader shift taking place in the media sector, where the heady days of streaming are quickly giving way to more focused efforts to forge connections between content and the people who might consume it. Sony has sold more than 95 million PlayStation 5 units around the world as of June 30, according to data from Sony Interactive Entertainment, but the device’s users aren’t likely to be found through the typical kinds of outreach. More traditional media outlets and new-tech counterparts are testing a variety of free ad-supported methods that may be better suited for specific audience niches than the mass subscriber bases sought by Netflix, Peacock or HBO Max, among others.
