Google is ready to give TV Guide and IMDB a run for their money. Pretty soon, you will be able to Google the name of a television show or movie and see live air times for that content within the search results.
Google (GOOG) announced the new feature for Google Search on Wednesday at the National Association of Broadcasters conference. “What we’re seeing is that more and more, viewers are turning to their phones to find out what to watch, where to watch it and when it’s available—in fact, searches for TV shows and films on mobile have grown more than 55% in the past year alone,” Google said in a blog post announcing the new feature.
Google users who search for the name of a TV show or movie will have the option of clicking an “edit provider” link that will allow them to enter their specific cable provider and tailor their results. The company did not specify when the new feature will be available, other than to say it will launch “soon.”
The move follows the Internet search giant’s previous work to build out the information it supplies for TV and movies through Google Search, including cast and plot details along with links to trailers. Google’s info cards for TV and movies also provide directions for how and where users can find a title streaming online, either to rent from an app like Google Play or Apple’s (AAPL) iTunes store, or to stream through a subscription service such as Netflix (NFLX), Amazon Video (AMZN), or Hulu.