Roku Channel has good news for cord-cutters: 100 free live TV channels
Roku's free TV service just got a serious bump with a new program guide and 100 live channels of news, kids' shows and lifestyle shows.
Roku expanded its free live TV service Roku Channel earlier this month with the addition of 100 live channels housed in a new program guide. The service offers linear programming from categories including news (ABC News Live, Reuters, Newsy), kids (Teletubbies, Kidz Bop), lifestyle (Bon Appetit, Bob Ross) and sports (Bein, Outside TV).
In order to watch the new channels, Roku Channel has added a "Live TV" tile at the top of the home screen. You can also press the left arrow to access the guide from within any screen of the app.
The guide itself offers 12 hours of data. Press the star button to switch the guide between All Channels and Recent Channels. The company says it's not currently possible to set reminders for upcoming programs, however. Roku also promises "Fast Channel Switching" for finding the exact channel you want to watch.
Despite appearing in a guide and including some familiar names and even live sports (whenever it resumes), the content isn't the same as what you'll get from cable TV or live TV streaming services. Instead it's typical of other live, free-ad-supported services such as Pluto TV and Xumo TV, which present a mix of older or lesser-known shows. (Editors' note: Pluto TV and CNET are both divisions of ViacomCBS.)
Roku Channel began in 2018 and is available on Roku devices including streamers and Roku TVs as well as web browsers, iOS or Android Roku apps and Samsung Smart TVs. Roku says The Roku Channel reached households with an estimated 31 million people in the first quarter of 2020.