How to Get on LG Channels: A Realistic Guide for FAST Channel Operators

To get on LG Channels, you pitch LG's content partnerships team directly if you are an established media brand, or you work through a distribution partner such as Amagi, Wurl, or Frequency that already delivers channels to LG. There is no public submission form. LG curates its lineup, evaluates channels on brand strength, content depth, rights, and ad revenue potential, and onboards new partners on its own schedule.

Below: what LG Channels is, who gets accepted, the technical bar, the distributor route in steps, honest timeline expectations, and the launch-first alternative that builds the proof LG wants to see.

What is LG Channels?

LG Channels is the free ad-supported streaming service built into LG smart TVs, integrated directly into the TV's channel guide alongside broadcast channels. That guide placement matters: viewers flip into LG Channels the same way they flip past cable channels, which drives lean-back linear viewing.

The scale is global. LG announced in 2025 that LG Channels had passed 5,000 channels worldwide across 37 countries, with regionally curated lineups in North America, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. Note that the 5,000 figure is a global total across all regions. Any single country's lineup is far smaller, typically a few hundred channels, so slots in your target market are still scarce and contested. The wider market context lives in our FAST industry statistics hub.

Who does LG accept as a content partner?

LG does not publish acceptance criteria, but announced partnerships show a consistent pattern. Accepted partners tend to be:

• Recognized media brands with licensed catalogs: studios, broadcasters, news networks, sports rights holders.
• Proven FAST operators whose channels already perform on other platforms and who arrive with viewership data.
• Selected originals partners. LG has commissioned exclusive programming, such as its multi-year original content deal with Majordomo Media. Like Samsung's creator deals, these are initiated by LG, not applied for.

LG also uses viewing data to decide which genres to add next, standing up channels where its audience shows demand. That cuts both ways for you: a strong channel in an underserved genre has a real angle, while another generalist entertainment channel does not.

Independent operators without a track record rarely land a direct deal. The practical path is the same one that serves Samsung TV Plus and Vizio WatchFree+: a distribution partner who pitches on your behalf. If what you hold is a deep catalog rather than a channel, the licensing models at Pluto TV and Tubi may suit you better than OEM carriage.

What are the technical and content requirements?

LG does not post a public spec sheet, and requirements change by region and deal. The durable expectations mirror the rest of the FAST ecosystem:

The EPG row deserves emphasis. Because LG Channels lives inside the native channel guide, bad schedule metadata is immediately visible to viewers. Get comfortable with EPG generation before you pitch, and check the full content requirements guide for the rest. Confirm current specs with LG or your distributor; published details are thin and they change.

The distributor route, step by step

1. Build the package. Channel concept, programming wheel, rights summary by territory, and any performance data from platforms where you already run.
2. Choose a distribution partner. Amagi, Wurl, Frequency, OTTera, and peers maintain delivery pipelines and relationships with LG's content team. They charge a revenue share; terms are negotiated per deal and we cannot verify standard figures.
3. The partner pitches LG. Your channel is presented as part of the distributor's slate, usually timed to LG's regional lineup reviews.
4. LG evaluates fit. Genre gaps in the local lineup, projected ad performance, brand recognition, and rights coverage all weigh in. LG's data-driven genre planning means fit matters as much as quality.
5. Onboard technically. Deliver the feed to spec, pass QA, supply artwork and EPG data, and go live in the guide.

One distributor relationship typically covers multiple OEM platforms at once, which is the main argument for going this route despite the revenue share.

How long does it take to get on LG Channels?

LG publishes no timelines, so treat any specific number you hear as an estimate. The realistic frame: a month or more to sign a distributor, an unpredictable wait for LG's next lineup review in your region, then weeks to a few months of technical onboarding after approval. Six months end to end is a fair planning assumption, and silence is the most common form of rejection.

Use the wait. A channel that spends those months accumulating real watch-time data walks into the next review cycle stronger than it left the last one.

Two practical moves improve your odds while the clock runs. First, study the current LG Channels lineup in your target country and name the gap you fill; a pitch that says "you carry no channel like this, and here is the audience for it" reads better than a generic reel. Second, keep your rights paperwork current and organized. Deals stall in legal review more often than in content review, and a clean chain of title is the cheapest acceleration available.

The launch-first alternative

The hardest part of every OEM pitch is proof, and you cannot generate proof while waiting for permission. So generate it somewhere with no gate.

On Vidiyo, anyone can start a FAST channel free, self-serve, in hours. Upload episodes, schedule your week, and the platform handles transcoding, 24/7 playout, SSAI, and EPG. Viewers watch in the browser with no account or credit card, and apps cover Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, and Android. Ads pay a revenue share from the first stream, with tips and paid unlocks on top.

Then pitch LG, through a distributor, with a channel that already works: real watch time, real returning viewers, a feed that has run for months without falling over. Distribution partners prefer that pitch too, because their share of a proven channel is worth more than their share of a concept. Run the numbers with the FAST revenue calculator and stage your setup with the channel launch checklist.

Official references

• LG Channels: lg.com
• Launch on Vidiyo instead of applying platform-by-platform: start creating
• Related: FAST distribution platforms

Quick answers

Is there an application form for LG Channels? No public one. Channels arrive through LG's content partnerships team or through distribution partners with existing LG relationships.

How many channels does LG Channels have? LG reported passing 5,000 channels globally across 37 countries in 2025. Individual country lineups are much smaller and curated per region.

Does it cost money to get on LG Channels? LG's model is revenue-based rather than fee-based in the typical FAST deal, but distributor shares and delivery costs are real. We cannot verify specific figures; terms vary by deal.

Can a small creator get on LG Channels? Directly, almost never. Through a distributor with strong performance data, sometimes. Building an audience on an open platform first is the highest-percentage route.

What's next

• Map every major outlet in FAST channel distribution platforms.
• Meet the spec bar with FAST channel content requirements.
• Compare the OEM doors: Samsung TV Plus, Vizio WatchFree+, and Fire TV Channels.
• Build your proof now: start a FAST channel.