Google Wants To Take Over Your TV

Google have announced that they’ll soon be building the TV guide of the future into their search engine.

On Wednesday 20th April 2016 Google announced via their blog that they would soon be “building the future of TV” into their search engine. In response to the new digitally transformed ways we access our television content – across a variety of devices and a range of mediums – the search engine will be tackling TV to solve the challenges faced by consumers who want access to their media online.

The update follows last year’s Search update, which introduced a paired down version of this proposed new function. Currently, Search can direct users to content that can be watched on a range of networks and on stores like Google Play and iTunes. The update will “not only show you the apps and sites where you can find the latest episode, but also show which channel you can turn your tv to later in the evening or week to catch it live”. This appears to be in response to today’s consumer demands; today’s online citizens are used to content on-demand, and Google want to be the go-to place for us to find out where we can get our content instantly.

In their blog article, entitled “Building the future of TV, with you”, Daniel Alegre – President of Global Partnerships at Google – details his recent keynote speech at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in which he “discussed the rebirth of TV and how [Google is] helping Broadcasters and Distributors with discovery, monetization and content creation”.

When the new update is implemented, searchers will be able to view live TV listings across a range of networks, find where they can access the show they’re looking for, and at what time they can watch episodes live. Google also plans to revolutionise the ad space in online TV, with DoubleClick’s Dynamic Ad Insertion expected to bring “hyper relevant” ads to viewers, creating “a better, more personalized viewing experience that looks and feels as seamless as TV today”.

Read more about the update here. What will Google think of next? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter.