About STIRR
Free streaming, built for everyone.
STIRR is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform that delivers live local news, linear channels, on-demand movies, and TV shows to viewers across the United States. 156 free live channels, 34 of them local news stations, alongside thousands of movies and shows on demand. STIRR requires no subscription, no credit card, and no account creation. The platform is available on web, iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, and Samsung Smart TV.
Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST)
Thinking Media, Inc.
Los Angeles, California
Delaware, United States
156 free live channels
34 local news stations
2019 (under Sinclair Broadcast Group)
2024 (by Thinking Media, Inc.)
July 2023
Todd Carter (CTO/CEO), Scott Schlichter (CCO)
Advertising-supported (free for viewers)
Live local news, linear channels, on-demand movies, TV shows
All content legally licensed from studios and distributors
Our Story
STIRR launched in 2019 as part of the Sinclair Broadcast Group portfolio. Sinclair is one of the largest television station operators in the United States. In July 2023, Todd Carter and Scott Schlichter founded Thinking Media, Inc. in Los Angeles with a straightforward conviction: premium streaming should not require a monthly fee. In 2024, Thinking Media acquired STIRR from Sinclair.
STIRR was never off the air through any of it, because people were still watching. We have been rebuilding the platform end to end underneath them ever since — the content library, the streaming infrastructure, and Streaming Intelligence, the layer we are building to turn watching into acting.
We are still rebuilding it. That part has no end date, because this kind of work is never finished: you change the wheels while the bus is rolling, and you keep it warm for the people already on board.
156 free live channels and thousands of movies and shows on demand, across every major category:
- Live local news from 34 local stations in markets across the United States
- Movies spanning classic cinema, independent film, action, horror, comedy, drama, and family titles
- TV shows including complete series and curated collections
- Sports including live events, combat sports, and motorsports coverage
- Music and lifestyle channels covering cooking, travel, fitness, home, and wellness
- Spanish-language programming including movies, news, and entertainment
Every title on STIRR is legally licensed. STIRR works directly with established studios, distributors, and content creators. Content partners include:
Stingray · SPI International · Insight TV · Fite · Off the Fence · Caracol · Icarus Sports · MVD Entertainment · American Cinema International · Encore Media · K2 Entertainment · Answer Media · Big Media · and dozens of additional studios and independent creators.
Live local news is carried through 38 broadcast station partners, including Sinclair, Hubbard and Griffin Media.
STIRR is fully licensed, legally operated, and 100% free for viewers. Revenue comes from advertising, not from subscriptions and never from pirated content.
Technology
STIRR runs on a modern streaming stack built for reliability and reach. The engineering team at Thinking Media maintains a custom content management and distribution platform and ad-supported delivery infrastructure optimized for low-latency playback.
Streaming Intelligence is STIRR's AI-native operating architecture, and it is in development. Every streaming service is built to push. This layer is built to pull — turning watching into acting on the viewer's cue rather than the platform's: know, do, go, buy, share. It composes the experience and never authors the content.
Lauren Forristal, February 9, 2024
Chris Hachey, September 30, 2025
"The best television experience should be free, and the technology powering it should be as ambitious as the content it delivers."
Our Founders
Thinking Media was founded by two people who have built media technology companies before, and taken two of them to public markets.
Co-founded BusyBox in 1995, an online media technology company that went public on NASDAQ in 2000, where he served as CTO. He went on to found Tagasauris, an AI metadata platform used by studios and media companies, which merged with GTChannel to form SEEEN plc, listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Twenty-five years spent on one problem: teaching machines what is actually inside a piece of video.
Co-founded GTChannel, one of the early creator-economy networks, and exited via the merger that formed SEEEN plc on the London Stock Exchange. He led business development, partnerships, content operations, ad revenue and investor relations.
A career on the commercial side of ad-supported video — the side that decides whether free actually works.
Company
STIRR is operated by Thinking Media, Inc., a Delaware-incorporated media and technology company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Thinking Media was founded in July 2023 by Todd Carter (CTO/CEO) and Scott Schlichter (CCO). For business inquiries, contact support@stirr.com.
No account, no app, nothing to pay. We write when there is something to show, and not otherwise.
This list is for news about what we build and ship. We do not sell it, and there is an unsubscribe link in every message.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is STIRR?
STIRR is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform that delivers live local news, linear channels, on-demand movies, and TV shows across the United States. 156 free live channels, 34 of them local news stations, alongside thousands of movies and shows on demand. No subscription or signup is required. STIRR is owned and operated by Thinking Media, Inc., founded in July 2023, and is available on all major streaming devices and at stirr.com. The platform launched in 2019 under Sinclair Broadcast Group and was acquired by Thinking Media in 2024.
Is STIRR TV free?
Yes, STIRR is completely free. There is no subscription, no credit card required, and no trial period that expires. STIRR is a free ad-supported streaming television platform. Revenue comes from advertising, not from viewers. Visit stirr.com or download the STIRR app on any supported device to start watching immediately.
How much does STIRR cost?
Nothing. STIRR is 100% free for viewers. There are no hidden fees, no premium tiers, and no account required. STIRR earns revenue through advertising during content playback, allowing the platform to offer its full library of live channels, movies, and TV shows at zero cost to the viewer.
Is STIRR legal?
Yes. STIRR is a fully licensed streaming platform operated by Thinking Media, Inc., a registered media and technology company incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Los Angeles. Every movie, TV show, and live channel on STIRR is legally licensed directly from content studios and distributors including Stingray, SPI International, Insight TV, and dozens of others. Live local news is carried through 38 broadcast station partners, including Sinclair, Hubbard and Griffin Media.
Who owns STIRR?
Thinking Media, Inc. owns and operates STIRR. Thinking Media was founded in July 2023 in Los Angeles by Todd Carter (CTO/CEO) and Scott Schlichter (CCO). The company acquired STIRR from Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2024 and continues to invest in the platform, the content library, and Streaming Intelligence, its AI-native operating architecture, which is in development.
How does STIRR make money?
STIRR is ad-supported. Revenue comes from advertising shown during content playback, the same model used by broadcast television for decades. Viewers watch for free, advertisers reach engaged audiences, and content partners earn licensing revenue. This model allows STIRR to offer 156 live channels and thousands of on-demand titles at no cost.
What happened to the STIRR app?
STIRR is active and growing. In 2024, Thinking Media, Inc. acquired STIRR from Sinclair Broadcast Group. The platform continues to operate under new ownership, and has been rebuilt end to end since. That work is ongoing. The STIRR app is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Samsung Smart TV, and at stirr.com.
Does STIRR have local channels?
Yes. Live local news is one of STIRR's key differentiators. STIRR carries live news from 34 local television stations in markets across the United States, something most competing free streaming services do not offer. Viewers can watch local news, weather, and community coverage alongside national entertainment, sports, and on-demand content.
What channels does STIRR have?
STIRR carries 156 free live channels spanning live local news, movies, TV shows, sports, music, Spanish-language programming, and lifestyle content, plus thousands of movies and shows on demand. The channel lineup includes curated entertainment from licensed content partners like Stingray, Insight TV, SPI International, Fite, and dozens of additional studios and independent creators.
What devices can I watch STIRR on?
STIRR is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Samsung Smart TV, and on any web browser at stirr.com. No account creation or app download is required to watch on the web. Just visit the site and press play.