Google: Android TV home screen advertising pilot on Sony TVs only

Google has given some explanation about the ads that appeared in the Android TV interface late last week. This is a pilot only on select Sony TVs. The ad, which cannot be turned off, is intended to help users discover new content.

9to5Google reached out to Google for clarification, as users on forums like Reddit were not happy with the addition. The internet giant says that hardware makers had to indicate that they wanted to participate in the pilot and that not even every hardware partner received this offer. So the responsibility for the Sponsored row rests with Google and Sony.

Google goes on to say that discovering new content is a pain point with Android TV. This row of sponsored content was supposed to help with that. The ads are therefore only for content that is actually accessible through the device, perhaps after a certain subscription has been concluded. It is striking that these ads, which according to Google are intended for ease of use and not for revenue, cannot be turned off.

Google would like users who see the new sponsored row on their Sony to provide feedback via the send feedback voice command.

Image: /u/petong on Reddit