Some Android TV owners got an unexpected, and unwanted, surprise this week.
Several Android TV users are reporting that there's now sponsored apps and content appearing on their home screens. It's appearing on Sony smart TVs, the Xiaomi Mi Box 3, the NVIDIA Shield TV, and other devices, and the bad news is that there doesn't appear to be an easy way to turn the ads off.
One Reddit user said that they were able to eliminate the ads by selecting "uninstall the updates" for the "Android TV Core Services" app, which causes the home screen to crash, then pressing home to restart the home screen. That's not really an ideal solution for most folks, though, and it's possible that the sponsored content could reappear in the future.
Google confirmed the Android TV sponsored content in a statement to XDA-Developers. "Android TV is committed to optimizing and personalizing the entertainment experience at home," Google said. "As we explore new opportunities to engage the user community, we’re running a pilot program to surface sponsored content on the Android TV home screen."
Meanwhile, Sony has posted a support page with more info on this "Sponsored channel". Sony says that the channel is "managed by Google" and that it's meant to "help you discover new apps and content for your TV." Sony goes on to explain that you can prevent content from appearing in the home screen by creating a restricted profile on your TV and selecting the apps that you want to use. That's another solution, but again, that's not exactly ideal.
Android TV users are understandably frustrated with the appearance of the sponsored ads and content, as they paid good money for their Android TV box. That's especially true for owners of Sony's smart TVs, which likely spent thousands of dollars on their television, only to be bombarded by ads on their Android TV home screen. There's been a pretty negative reaction to these ads so far, so it'll be interesting to see if Google ends this "pilot program" or keeps it up.
