STIRR, Sinclair Broadcast Group’s new free-to-stream, advertiser-supported service, this week added Dan Abram’s Law and Crime Network to a growing lineup of second-tier networks airing off-network shows, YouTube videos, movies, oddities like drone footage, and local news content produced by Sinclair-owned television stations around the country.

As of today, STIRR features 29 streaming linear TV networks, most you’ve never heard of before. The primary draw for most will be access to live streaming news from dozens of Sinclair stations around the country. STIRR asks users to pre-select the city and station nearest them, which then allows access to STIRR CITY, a channel that carries complete coverage of local news and features produced by that Sinclair station. In between live newscasts, the channel features a small handful of off-network shows like Highway to Heaven (commercial free for some reason) and live carriage of Cheddar, a business news network. Users can choose and change any Sinclair station they like anytime, useful during breaking news stories several cities away.

Although STIRR incorporates plenty of its cohesive platform branding messages across its lineup, it is clear most of the included networks are a motley crew of independent thrown-off-cable misfits, low-budget oddities that feature little more than drone footage or a queue of YouTube videos, and several digital subnets you probably have encountered on over the air channels. Most of the latter air old off-network shows from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, similar to Me TV. But none seems compelling enough to replace a cable TV or streaming TV subscription.

STIRR is only a few months old, and lineup additions and changes are forthcoming as the service grows to around 50 live/linear TV channels by the end of 2019. Streaming quality is good, but older programs show their age. Sinclair likely bought a range of cheap syndicated series to scatter across its own STIRR-branded channels, and many inexplicably run without commercials, which means viewers are often treated to several minutes of “we’ll be right back” billboards between shows. Sinclair presumably would like to sell its own advertising on the service, but so far the vast majority of commercials are unpaid promos for different STIRR shows and channels.

A rudimentary program guide offers viewers the titles of shows, but few descriptions. STIRR does not offer a record option at this time.

Current STIRR Lineup

1. STIRR CITY
2. Stadium
3. Cheddar News
4. Law & Crime Trial Network
5. Futurism
6. Dust
7. Comet
8. Charge!
9. CONtv
10. Buzzr
11. Dove Channel
12. Shout TV
13. Pet Collective
14. TBD
15. FailArmy
16. The T from The Tennis Channel
17. WPT – World Poker Tour
18. STIRR Sports
19. Outdoor America
20. STIRR Life
21. BigLife TV
22. GustoTV
23. MovieMix
24. STIRR Movies
25. Gravitas Movies
26. Mobcrush
27. ESR eSports Channel
28. NASA TV
29. SOAR (Drone Footage)

STIRR is available from iOS and Android apps, on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku, and on desktops through the STIRR website.