Pluto TV is a great option if you want to watch hours of content for free. As one of the best free streaming services, it gives you TV shows, movies and more on a wide range of devices. And now, you can watch Lionel Messi play for free — at least for one game.
Tonight (Aug. 23), Pluto TV is showing Messi’s Inter Miami take on FC Cincinnati on CBS Sports Golazo Network at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal. That means you can watch Messi and Miami try and get a step closer to their second trophy since Messi’s arrival, all for free.
Then, if Messi isn’t enough soccer for you, Golazo Network will also show the other semifinal match at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT — Houston Dynamo versus Real Salt Lake.
While getting to see Messi play is certainly the headline given how well he’s performed since arriving in America, this announcement also highlights the growing catalog of free live sports available on free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) networks.
Roku already announced a pair of new free sports offerings with the addition of ABB FIA Formula E World Championship races on The Roku Channel. It’s also adding FIFA Plus, which allows you to watch original content, match replays and, in some instances, even live games.
If soccer isn’t your speed, Pluto TV does have some additional sports offerings. The Pluto TV NFL Channel offers NFL Fantasy Live every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT and shows NFL RedZone rebroadcasts the following Saturday after the given NFL regular season week. It’s not live sports, but it is some high-quality entertainment for those who like having sports on in the background.
Benefits of free streaming services continue to grow
For those who are unfamiliar with FAST networks, these free streaming services offer you hours upon hours of content across numerous devices — all for free. But, of course, that still comes with a caveat: the content is rarely new. Instead, it’s often older TV shows and movies that have been licensed out to these FAST network providers like Pluto TV, The Roku Channel and Amazon’s Freevee.
However, that's slowly changing. Pluto TV and The Roku Channel both now offer live sports in some capacity and Amazon Freevee has original shows that are actually worth watching, like Primo, which got a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and scored nearly as well with audiences. Of course, there's the Emmy-nominated Jury Duty, which has captivated viewers since the spring.
And again, it’s all free. You don’t have to choose which free streaming service you want to use the way streaming service price hikes may be forcing you to decide between keeping Disney Plus for Ahsoka or ditching it for Netflix. So go ahead and watch as much as you want. These free TV platforms are only growing for now.
