The Samsung TV Plus app has been preinstalled on the company's smart TVs since 2016, and now Australia and Brazil have joined Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US on the list of supported countries.

Samsung TV Plus offers more than 40 channels in Australia, notably Bloomberg TV, Fuel TV, Stingray Karaoke, and Venn.

For comparison, the US version of the service – which is also available on certain Samsung mobile phones – provides 160 channels.

The Australian service is available on Samsung smart TVs sold since 2018.

"Throughout the pandemic, we have seen how consumers spend time at home and how much they value access to great media content," said Samsung Electronics visual display business senior vice president Seline Sangsook Han.

"We have seen TVs become the centre of entertainment – from being a source of news to a streaming on-demand partner.

"With our latest expansion into new markets and content line-up, we hope that TV Plus continues to be a premium at-home destination for Samsung Smart TV users all over the world."

Samsung Electronics Australia director of audio visual Hass Mahdi said "Whilst the role of the TV is evolving it is still the core entertainment hub of our homes and this year we’ve leant on it to keep us entertained and distracted.

"Offering customers with a variety of content to enjoy is as important as the picture quality. Samsung continues to expand its Smart TV experience with the introduction of TV Plus in Australia."

Mahdi added "From karaoke, cooking or keeping up with the news there is something for everyone to enjoy and explore."

Further expansion to Mexico, India, and more countries in Europe including Sweden is planned for 2021.