Your Roku just got a free upgrade that could save you money - no Roku TV required
Source: ZDNet
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Roku just added more channels to its free live TV lineup.
- New channels include sitcoms, sports, clips, and more.
- You can watch them even if you don’t own a Roku TV.
Roku has quietly upgraded its free streaming options, giving you even more content to watch at no cost.
If you’re not familiar, Roku’s Live TV section of the Roku Channel app works like old‑school cable: there are ad breaks, you can’t fast‑forward or rewind, and you watch what’s on instead of searching on demand. Unlike cable, the channels are completely free.
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With hundreds of options, you’ll find channels dedicated to a single show (e.g., COPS, Gunsmoke, Little House on the Prairie), Hallmark movies, local news, weather, sports, and more.
Less than a month ago, Roku added six free channels to its lineup—including a 24/7 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire channel and Overtime, which offers nonstop sports programming. Now it’s adding nine more.
New channels added
- Pokémon – Non‑stop streaming of the long‑running animated series.
- The Bernie Mac Show – Episodes of the early‑2000s sitcom.
- America’s Funniest Home Videos – Continuous funny clips from the classic TV show.
- Willow Sports – Live coverage of international cricket matches.
- Fuel TV – Sports, culture, and lifestyles of surf, skate, snow, BMX, and motocross.
- Felicity – The ’90s drama about a young woman’s college life in NYC.
- Cougar Town – A divorced mother restarts her dating life.
- Blossom – The classic ’90s sitcom about a spunky teenager.
- MeatEater – Hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventures.
To access the new channels, open the Roku Channel app (available on any smart device, not just Roku), select Live TV from the left menu, and search for the channel name. After you view a channel once, it will appear in the “Recently watched” section for easy access.
If you’re not picky about which episode you watch, this is one of the best free streaming options available and could let you drop one or two paid streaming services.