Google makes finding shows easier and brings back ESPN and big updates hit the Gemini app

Good news for everyone watching TV through YouTube TV: the main channels you might have missed are finally back. After about two weeks which many Disney-owned channels were missing because of talks that broke down, YouTube TV and Disney have agreed to a new deal. This agreement lasts for multiple years and means popular channels like ABC, ESPN, and FX are now back online for subscribers.

The channels had gone dark due to the old contract ending, but the new partnership not only brings back the full lineup of Disney networks but also includes an extra benefit: YouTube TV users will get access to ESPN’s new direct streaming service at no extra cost. This is a big win for people who enjoy sports and live events.

This focus on making it easier to watch things extends to the Google Play Store as well. If you have ever tried to search for a movie or TV show only to wonder which of your many apps actually has it, Google is fixing that confusion. A new feature rolling out to Google Play search now gives you a simple card that says “Where to watch.”

When you search for a title, this card lists all the different streaming services where you can find it—for example, HBO Max, Prime Video, or YouTube TV—making it much quicker to jump straight to the correct app and start watching without needing to use a separate service finder.

Meanwhile, Google’s smart assistant, Gemini, is getting some big changes on Android phones. The app’s homepage has a fresh new look, starting with a simple “Where should we start?” prompt. Instead of seeing random suggestions, the main options, like “Create image” or “Write anything,” are now displayed neatly in a list, making them simpler to find and use.

For those who prefer darker screens, the app has also introduced a truly black background option for its dark theme. You can also now find a new section in the menu called “My Stuff,” which acts like a gallery, letting you easily look at images and videos you have created using Gemini.

One of Gemini’s powerful creative tools, which uses AI to generate videos (called Veo), is also getting a lot smarter. Google is introducing a feature that lets you use “visual ingredients” to guide your video creation. Instead of writing a very long and detailed text description, you can now upload up to three reference photos that the AI will use as inspiration.

These pictures can help make sure a character looks the same throughout different shots, apply a specific lighting style to the entire clip, or make sure the scene matches a custom world you’ve built. This feature helps paid subscribers create high-quality videos more accurately and much faster.