Hi there! My name is Janko Roettgers, and this is Lowpass. This week: YouTube gets into the FAST channels game, with a twist.

YouTube's TV takeover continues with 24/7 streaming ‘Stations’

When Coachella returns to YouTube next week, the music festival will be offering more than just live performances. Viewers will also be able to tune into something YouTube calls Stations — 24/7 linear streams preprogrammed with videos from artists performing at the festival, perfect for playing in the background or vegging out on the couch.

Stations are essentially YouTube’s take on FAST channels: free linear streaming TV channels that have gained popularity on services like Pluto and The Roku Channel, and are now baked into the EPGs of most smart TV operating systems.

One of the reasons FAST channels have become so popular is that they bring back passive leanback viewing, doing away with the need to find something to watch when you just want to hit play. As YouTube viewing has grown in the living room, the service has seen its viewers interested in the same thing.

“I want to put something on,” says YouTube’s senior product management director, Kurt Wilms. “I want it to be hands-free. I want it to stay in the same lane.”